They might be man's best friend, but apparently not everyone feels the same way about them. Police say four boys, none of them old enough to drive, stole five dogs over a three day span from a North Central Florida animal shelter. One of the five dogs won't be coming back.
Lake City Humane Society Executive Director Terry Marques says the kids got into the humane society by peeling back a fence. He says they then got the dogs by lifting up the fencing over their cages. Three of the dogs are now safe, one is unaccounted for, and police say the other one was killed when one of the boys, Malik Drummond, threw it off of a bridge.
"It's not the first time that we've had a break-in, it's not the first time certainly that animals have been taken," said Marques, "it's just the seriousness of this crime causes great alarm in that these were basically children."
Police say a couple went to the Humane Society to adopt a pet and told officials that they had previously seen some kids there after hours. Police followed the lead and say the boys later admitted to the crime.
"I just couldn't imagine taking a small puppy and throwing him over a bridge," said Lake City Police Lt. Joe Moody, "I just couldn't do that. Some people, depending on their upbringing and stuff, it happens."
Marquez says he's trying to raise funds for an upgraded security system at the Humane Society.
-Josh Rosenthal