Shot in Cold Blood for Barking…NO CHARGES…CASE CLOSED!

Excerpted from the January/February 2017 issue of Suncoast Pet Magazine

On November 18, 2016, Candy, the beloved, ­four-legged companion of Rodney Jacobson and his wife, Cindy, was shot and killed in Nokomis by a 25-year-old man with a permit to carry a weapon.

Less than 24-inches tall and weighing no more than 50 pounds, the Terrier Mix had no history of aggression, but was merely barking at the shooter whom she did not recognize when he approached Rodney’s truck that was parked on a piece of property owned by the shooter’s grandfather.

For years, Rodney had kept his boat, which he was decorating for the Venice Boat Parade, on the 10-acre lot with permission of the landowner, who was a longtime friend.

While at his truck parked near the boat, Rodney heard his name called and turned to see the shooter walking alongside the truck. As the shooter walked beyond the truck, Candy began to bark at him. Rodney saw the shooter kick dirt in Candy’s direction, and the dog retreated to the truck. At that point, Rodney and the shooter were standing next to each other. As Rodney moved toward Candy to put her in the truck, the shooter—without warning and with Candy 8 to 10 feet away—pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot twice. ­Candy then ran toward Rodney’s boat as the shooter continued to fire his weapon multiple times.

According to the police report, the shooter, after ­“lawyering up,” claimed that he “feared for his life,” ­although Candy did not lunge, snap or growl at him.

Rodney recovered his bleeding dog, who was lying on a pile of life jackets on the boat. He picked her up and rushed to his truck where the shooter was still standing with his gun in his hand, yelling obscenities at Rodney. He then drove her to a veterinary ER clinic in Sarasota. Candy and Rodney were then transported by Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance to ­Tampa, where she died following surgery.

The morning after the shooting, Rodney filed a complaint with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. However, charges were not filed based on the shooter’s statement that he feared for his life, despite the fact that Rodney’s life also was in jeopardy when the shooter fired his gun. What’s more, this decision was made before the sheriff’s office received the veterinary report, which clearly indicated that there were wounds on the back of Candy’s legs, proving that she was shot from behind.

How could someone fear for his life when the dog was 8 to 10 feet away, the owner was standing next to the shooter and the dog was running away as he continued to shoot?

There has been widespread speculation about why the case was closed without a thorough investigation. Could the sheriff’s close friendship with the shooter’s father since high school or the significant financial support the sheriff ­received from the shooter’s grandfather have played a role in the abrupt—and unjust—­dismissal of the case?

Backed by interest by the Humane Society of the United States and growing support from our local ­animal community (that includes YOU!), Rodney and Cindy Jacobson are demanding that this vicious and heartless case of animal cruelty be prosecuted. The ultimate goal is for the Sarasota Sheriff to conclude that this shooting was NOT justified, to file criminal charges and to send this case to the State Attorney for ­prosecution to the full extent of the law.

The Jacobsons also want to set the wheels in motion to change outdated laws that give gun holders a license to senselessly kill innocent animals simply by saying they fear for their lives, whether or not those claims are true.

“This could happen to anyone’s dog or cat,” Cindy ­Jacobson says. “We need Candy’s case to serve as an ­example that this simply is NOT acceptable; we cannot send a message that this kind of behavior will be ­tolerated.”

We cannot bring Candy back, but, together, we can hold her killer accountable by seeking justice.

— Stand Up for Candy —

What You Can—and Must—Do

  • Follow and share Candy’s case on Facebook. Get up-to-date details online at www.facebook.com/Justice4Candy.
  • Make a donation. To date, Cindy and Rodney Jacobson have spent more than $80,000 of their own funds in their fight for justice. Additional legal fees and court costs are expected to be in excess of an additional $30,000. Every dollar donated will help offset current and future legal costs. You can make a donation online by clicking here or online at https://www.gofundme.com/justice-for-candy
  • Attend the court hearing that has been CHANGED THREE TIMES. A NEW COURT DATE STILL HAS NOT BEEN SET. Your support is needed to show the judge and the jury that we, as an animal community, demand that the laws in the state of Florida are changed to protect our four-legged companions. Find out more about the Court Date by clicking here.
  • Buy a T-shirt or Mug! Click here to see the “Justice for Candy” t-shirts and mugs that are now on sale! One hundred percent (100%) of the purchase price of each item will be used to support Candy’s legal fund.