Man arrested for killing family dog

GULF BREEZE, Florida (WALA) - It's a shocking case of animal cruelty. A pet Chihuahua mix is stabbed, skinned and set on fire. Santa Rosa County Deputies say a 25-year-old Gulf Breeze man did it because he thought the dog was "Satan." It happened Sunday night in Gulf Breeze.

Deputies say 25-year-old Matthew Foote killed his family's pet Chihuahua "Sasha".

"He stated he first cut the dogs throat with a knife, the dog didn't die. So he stabbed it several times in the chest, it still didn't die. He then held his hands over mouth and it died," said Sergeant Scott Haines with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say he then took the dog to the backyard, skinned it, set it on fire, and buried it. This all happened when the suspect's parents were at Mass.

"Supposedly this is a family pet he loved a lot, he said that. He didn't have any bad feelings toward it before this happened," said Sgt. Haines.

Deputies believe there may be other factors involved. Foote was very calm during interviews and made unusual statements.

"He made some statements to deputies that he thought his dog was Satan, so I'm sure some other things are going on," said Haines.

Foote was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail and remains there on no bond.