Deputies investigate after therapy dog fatally shot

APOPKA, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Deputies in Orange County are investigating a dog found dead Tuesday near Apopka, while the family tries to understand how and why this happened.

In a family full of children and pets, one pet is now missing: little Buddha Boo. The owner, who asked not to be named in this report, said Buddha Boo was shot and killed.

“My mom had called me and told me that Buddha Boo had got out. I was like okay, and she was like well I'm going to go try to find him and see where he's at. And she went and she went 500 feet, two houses down and found him dead.”

She saw a small hole in his side where he was bleeding out. The Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix was a therapy dog for her son.

“Played fetch with him, slept with him every night. He was a lovable dog. He wouldn't even bite a fly, more or less bite somebody else.”

The family is grieving after burying Buddha Boo in the backyard, playing with the pets they still have and wondering why anyone would do this.

“I just think that the crime needs to be taken care of before someone really gets hurt. What if that was somebody that they shot?”

The family says someone has already offered to donate a new puppy to them. They expect to receive the dog in a few weeks and say they’re grateful, but it still won’t replace Buddha Boo.