A 19-year-old man, upset with the behavior of two Chihuahuas, dug a ditch and threw the dogs in before shooting them, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the dogs died immediately, but a Chihuahua named “Charlie” hung onto life despite a bullet wound to the head before he was finished off by a shovel, the report said.
Kyle Anthony Santos is facing a charge of animal cruelty. Santos was arrested Saturday and released later in the day from the Palm Beach County Jail after posting a $3,000 bond.
Santos killed the two 8-year-old dogs after he became annoyed at their “growling, barking and biting,” Santos’ girlfriend told deputies.
The dogs belonged to the girlfriend's father, the report said. Santos and his girlfriend were living with the woman's father on the 16200 block of Tall Oak Avenue in unincorporated Delray Beach when the animals were killed on Jan. 12.
The dogs’ owner called authorities on Jan. 14 after his daughter confessed that Santos had killed the dogs, the report said. Nina Rindone, Santos’ girlfriend, initially told her father that she gave the dogs away, then changed her story and stated that the animals had been hit by a car and then buried in the backyard. Rindone finally admitted that Santos shot the dogs two days earlier, then buried them.
Rindone told deputies the dogs had a habit of nipping at the heels and barking at her and Santos.
“I really wish we could get rid of those dogs,” Santos told Rindone on Jan. 12, according to the report.
Rindone said she felt “obligated” to help Santos dig a hole in the backyard then helped walk the dogs in by their leashes. When Santos pulled out a gun, Rindone said she got scared and ran back into the house, but heard her boyfriend fire off five shots.
Rindone, who was not arrested, told deputies she retrieved garbage bags to place over the dogs then helped Santos fill in the makeshift grave, the report said.
“Nina stated that she could hear one of the dogs crying when [Santos] stopped shooting,” the report states. “According to Nina, Kyle picked up a shovel and was hitting one of the dogs in the hole. She stated that Kyle later told her that he was hitting Charlie because he was still moving.”
Deputies recovered a Glock 19 handgun from Santos, who declined to speak to authorities about the incident.
“We see a lot of things, but something like this makes all of us very angry,” said Capt. Dave Wallesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.
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