A Gulf Breeze man is charged with killing and skinning the family dog because he believe it was possessed by the devil.
Matthew O. Foote, 25, is being held on no bond on a third-degree felony of cruelty to animals and is expected to make his first appearance in court this afternoon.
A Gulf Breeze man who admitted torturing and killing the family dog was released from Santa Rosa Jail and sent to a mental health facility for treatment and evaluation, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said.
Matthew O. Foote, 25, faces third-degree felony charge of cruelty to animals after he told Sheriff's Office investigators he believed the dog — a 7-year-old dachshund-Chihuahua mix named Sasha — was possessed by the devil, according to an arrest report.
"He will be returned to the jail for a bond hearing (after treatment)," Marcille said. He did not know how long that process would take.
Foote vividly described cutting and suffocating the dog, then skinning and burning her body.
Foote's father, Gerald Foote, called 911 from his Reservation Road home Sunday to report that his son had killed the dog.