Atlanta police looking for man accused of shooting unleashed dog

“It’s OK, baby. It’s OK,” the man could be heard telling his German shepherd named Eight.

According to an incident report, police said the man had been walking the dog without a leash in an open lot that he owned. The dog then went over to a driveway where the suspect was standing.

The man allegedly warned the owner to get his dog or he would shoot it, police said in a statement. He then fired one shot, striking the dog.

“I was on my property,” the dog’s owner told dispatchers. “This guy lives next door or just moved in next door and was standing outside by his car. It excited my dog, my dog went close to him and he shot him.”

Police collected one 45-caliber shell casing at the scene.

The dog was injured and removed by Fulton County Animal Services, officials said. An update on the dog’s condition was not provided.

The suspect, whose name was not released, had already left the area before police arrived, officials said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the case.

According to Atlanta city code, dogs and other domestic animals are generally required to be on a leash that is not more than six feet long “and under the control of a competent person” when not confined to the owner’s property by a fence or wall. The only exception is for cats.

There are a few other situational exceptions, including for dogs “participating in or training for obedience trials, field trials, dog shows, tracking work or law enforcement.” The law also does not apply in areas zoned for agriculture where the owner is using the dog for hunting purposes and has the proper credentials for such activity.

The area in which the dog was shot is zoned for single-family residential homes, according to the city’s zoning map.