Owners ask Orange County sheriff to ‘do the right thing’ after deputy allegedly shoots dog in face

Devon McCarthy and Leslie Rodriguez say the dog lost a portion of her face when she was shot at seven times and hit by three bullets

Blaise Gomez

Feb 2, 2023, 9:56 PM

Updated 692 days ago

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A 4-year-old pit bull was allegedly shot three times Saturday by an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy. 
“I just heard a bunch of shots,” said the dog’s owner, Devon McCarthy. 
Emmalina is now home in Monroe and on the mend. 
Her owners, Devon McCarthy and Leslie Rodriguez , say the dog lost a portion of her face when she was shot at seven times and hit by three bullets that were allegedly fired by an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy. 
“The bullet went through her teeth and took out her jaw on the right side,” said McCarthy. 
McCarthy says Emmalina wasn’t on a leash and was out to use the bathroom when the deputy unexpectedly arrived. He says the deputy was walking up the driveway when the dog ran down and was shot.
“All she wants to do is love,” said McCarthy. “So if she went toward you, she just wanted to sniff and rub her face on you.”
It appears the deputy felt threatened when the couple says he arrived to serve legal papers to someone that moved six years ago. 
The sheriff’s office has yet to comment on what happened. 
“They told me to talk to their attorney,” said McCarthy. 
The couple say the veterinary bill to save their dog’s life cost $16,000. 
“Even looking at her now, it’s still a nightmare. We would have rather he have tased her.”
News 12 reached out to the sheriff's office three times for information but has not heard back.
The couple started a GoFundMe page that has raised several thousand dollars to help pay for the vet bill.