Police said four unleashed dogs attacked another dog and its owner before a dog owner opened fire.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A dog fight in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood ended in gunfire Friday morning, leaving two dogs dead, several other dogs wounded and one man injured, police said.
The shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. near Northwest 11th Avenue and Northwest Seventh Street, in the Homes Beautiful Park area. Fort Lauderdale police said four unleashed dogs attacked a dog and its owner, setting off a fight that drew police, fire rescue crews and the department’s Animal Crimes Unit.
Investigators said at least five dogs were involved in the fight. Police said one of the dogs bit a dog owner as he tried to break up the attack. Another dog owner then pulled out a gun and shot four of the dogs, according to police. Two dogs died at the scene. Two others were taken to a local animal hospital. Local 10 reported three dogs were injured, while WSVN reported two wounded dogs were taken for treatment.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue personnel treated the injured man at the scene, police said. Authorities did not immediately release his name, age or the extent of his injuries. Police said the man was hurt while trying to stop the fight. WSVN reported that he later went with his other two dogs to the animal hospital. No injuries to bystanders were reported in the first public accounts of the incident.
Police units were called to the 1100 block of Northwest Seventh Street after reports of shots fired. Aerial video from the scene showed the dead dogs covered by yellow tarps on a grassy area near a property. Officers with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Animal Crimes Unit responded to examine the scene and remove the dead dogs as part of the investigation.
Detectives said they were still working to determine what led to the fight, how the dogs got loose and whether any laws were broken. Police did not immediately say who owned the four dogs that were shot or whether the person who fired the gun had been detained, cited or charged. Investigators also did not release the breeds of the dogs involved.
The incident brought a large emergency response to a residential area just west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Northwest Seventh Street runs through a neighborhood with homes, small businesses and nearby park space. Police said the attack began when the four unleashed dogs went after a dog and its owner in the area of Northwest 11th Avenue and Seventh Street.
Authorities described the case as an active investigation. Detectives said everyone involved was “cooperating with the ongoing investigation.” That review is expected to include witness accounts, the condition of the surviving dogs and the circumstances surrounding the gunfire. Police did not announce a timeline for possible citations, animal control decisions or any criminal case.
The shooting left two dogs dead at the scene and sent wounded animals for emergency veterinary care. The injured man was treated after the struggle to separate the animals. Police had not released an updated condition for the man or the surviving dogs as of Friday afternoon.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.