FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Caleb Lowman says he was forced to use his shotgun on his neighbor's three dogs when they escaped their cage and began attacking his goats.
“When I came out, I had the shotgun with me with the hopes it wouldn’t have to be used,” Lowman said.
Lowman says this isn't the first time the dogs have gotten out and been aggressive. On last Monday, the dogs got out of their fence and attacked the goats in his yard. Photos show the goats suffered bite marks up and down their neck and legs.
However, one of the dogs' owners, Jake Hutto, claims his pets have never been aggressive.
“I don’t understand how it’s possible to shoot three dogs in the head, to blow their face off," Hutto said.
Lowman's family called Animal Control after last week's incident and says they safely returned all three dogs to the neighbors. Five days later, Lowman says it happened again — this time in front of his 13-year-old daughter, Chloe.
“I had to go outside and watch basically my babies be attacked by dogs," said Chloe.
Lowman says despite his family's efforts, the dogs killed two of the goats. That's when he pulled out his shotgun and killed all three dogs. Hutto came home to find that Animal Control had left his pets in three large trash bags.
“There’s nothing more you can do, nothing’s going to bring them back,” Hutto said.
Records show several citations had been issued from Animal Control to the dog owners' household. But with two goats and three dogs now gone, Lowman says this isn't what he wanted.
"This time it was our goats, Monday it was our goats; if we let that happen again that could have been my children," he said. "It didn’t need to be this way if they just secured their dogs."
A spokesperson for Animal Control says this is an active investigation. Lowman claims when he put in his final statement today at Animal Control, he was told two citations would be issued against the dog owners. He says the citations are for dogs menacing and harassing livestock and running at large.
