An argument between former lovers in Florida got so heated, a woman allegedly grabbed her ex's dog and threw the animal to its death from a seventh floor balcony.
Shelley Vaughn, 46, is now facing charges of aggravated animal cruelty, criminal mischief and domestic battery in connection with the incident, which happened in Clearwater on Sunday.
Eric Adeson told police that Vaughn showed up at his condo around noon "smelling of alcohol and being verbally aggressive." A civil complaint notes that the pair had dated for several months but ended their relationship in February.
When Adeson asked Vaughn to leave, he said she smiled and then picked up his 3-year-old pug, Bucky, and threw the dog off the balcony, along with his keys and cellphone.
Bucky was found dead on the pavement below, police said.
Vaughn, who lives in the same condominium complex, could not be located immediately after the incident. She was eventually arrested and booked in the Pinellas County Jail on Monday.
Adeson is seeking $30,000 in damages, saying he was traumatized by the incident. He told the Tampa Bay Times he adopted Bucky as a puppy when his then-10-year-old puggle, Sandy, was undergoing cancer treatment.
"[Bucky] just actually had his third birthday," Adeson said. "I never thought that Sandy would outlive Bucky."
Adeson's attorney, Katherine Neal, told the Associated Press that the lawsuit was filed to send a message to Vaughn and others that "acts of cruelty against animals are utterly outrageous, indecent, and completely unacceptable in our society."
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