Florida man accused of killing dog after becoming angry over power outage in Milton

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla — A Florida man is behind bars after police say he shot his dog when he became upset that his strength wasn't restored quickly enough after Hurricane Milton.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said John Burgos was sitting in his home the morning of Oct. 12 and started shooting because of the lack of power.

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His dog Flick was hit.

“If this isn’t bad enough, he doesn’t call 911 right away,” Ivey said in a Facebook video. “He goes to his neighbor’s house and says he couldn’t find his phone. That’s no surprise, of course, but alcohol was involved.”

Ivey said he called for help from his neighbor's house, believing he had shot his dog. But after he called, Ivey said he went home, sat on his porch and gave Flick no assistance.

Officers eventually arrived at the home and were able to pick up the dog and take it to a veterinary clinic.

“You look through, you see the dog in distress and you see blood around the dog,” Ivey said. “They grab the dog, put him in one of our patrol cars and take him to our partners at Rockledge Emergency Specialty Hospital, who work with us all the time on matters like this.”

Despite heroic efforts to save Flick, he did not survive his injuries.

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The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said the dog, Flick, was shot and did not survive his injuries.

(BrevardCountySheriff/Facebook / FOX Weather)

An investigation was then launched and Ivey said Burgos had shown no remorse.

“The only thing he said when he was told his dog had died was, 'The human (Florida Power and Light) made me do this,'” Ivey continued. “No, you’re an idiot. That's what made you do this. Not FPL.”

Ivey went on to say that Burgos had “hatred in his heart.”

“You were crazy,” he said. “You couldn’t control your emotions, got drunk and killed your dog.”

Ivey said Burgos was arrested and charged with shooting and throwing a rocket into an apartment, using a firearm while under the influence and cruelty to animals.

The video then shows Burgos being led into prison as the door is slammed behind him.

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This image shows John Burgos being led into the Brevard County Jail on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

(BrevardCountySheriff/Facebook / FOX Weather)

“That’s my favorite sound for someone who has harmed animals,” Ivey said. “Hear the door slammed in their faces. That’s what I want to hear.”

Ivey thanked the deputies who arrived and attempted to save Flick's life.

“At the end of the day, someone has to be a voice for these helpless pets,” he said. “And our team was that voice today. So he is exactly where he belongs. Locked up in the Brevard County Jail.”