Lying on a path outside her home in blood-soaked trousers, this is the heartbreaking moment a woman clings to her beloved dog Dutchess after a police officer shot it dead in an "unprovoked attack" outside her front door.
In these scenes captured on video, a police officer is seen shooting the terrier cross after he knocked on her owner's front door and it trotted outside after it was opened.
Gillian Palacios clings to the lifeless body of Duchess after she was shot dead by a police officer
Gillian Palacios, whose Facebook page lists her as the owner of Gillian's Pet Sitting Services, said Dutchess did not bark or growl at the officer who shot it three times in the head.
The officer, who has not been named, was said to have only entered her Palacios, Florida property to warn her that her car was unlocked.
He is now said to be on "administrative leave".
Palacios (left) and her daughter were traumatised by the incident
Palacios told WPLG: "She [Duchess] was curious.
"She wasn't barking [and] she wasn't growling, there was no reason for him to think she was aggressive in any way.
The officer is seen shooting Duchess outside the family home
The woman react to seeing the dead dog
"There were a million things he could have done other than shoot her three times in the head."
A Justice For Dutchess Facebook page has been created since the shooting and Palacios is now said to be considering legal action.
It reads: "My family and I are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we have received for our beautiful girl Dutchess.
"I have created this page so that we can rally all of Dutchess's supporters in one place. So many people on different sites have offered their assistance and I would like to be able to get information out in the event that we need to organize anything. Please share this page. Share her story. We will not let her murder go unnoticed. #JusticeforDutchess."
The officer reportedly told Palacios that her dog had "charged me".
Florida City police spokesman Officer Ken Armenteros confirmed that one of the department's officers shot a dog on Tuesday morning.
Palacios wraps her arms around Duchess who had recently been adopted from a nearby shelter
He defended the shooting saying officers don't have the "luxury of hindsight" and often have to "use the information that is given to us in a split second".
Palacios said that Dutchess was a rescue dog they had recently adopted from a nearby shelter.