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His wife may have initially denied reports that he shot the family pet, but David Eason is finally admitting what he did in his own words. During a PeopleTV interview shared Monday, September 9, the former Teen Mom 2 star opened up about what exactly went down when he shot and killed the family’s French bulldog, Nugget. After seemingly confirming the news back in May, he’s now admitting that he “euthanized” the pup because she allegedly bit the daughter he shares with Jenelle Evans, toddler Ensley. Check out the gallery to see exactly what the star had to say.
The scandal started back in April when reports emerged that a “frantic” 911 call had accused David, 31, of killing the family dog. Simultaneously, Jenelle, 27, was posting about being “devastated.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Details
Soon, more information emerged. On May 1, Jenelle confirmed that Nugget was gone. “Nugget … I’m crying everyday. I love you so much and I’m so sorry. I’m speechless,” she wrote. “You’re gone forever and there’s no coming back.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
His Side
Though she never actually said that the dog had died, David’s side of the story seemed to provide more clarity. Later that same day, he shared his own Instagram post about protecting his family.
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Aggression
“I don’t give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face. … Whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog, and I don’t put up with that s–t at all,” he said. “I’m all about protecting my family.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Biting
“It is my life’s mission,” he continued. “Some people are worth killing or dying for, and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want, but this isn’t the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Danger
“The only person that can judge [whether] or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME,” he told his followers. With the post, he shared a video of the dog nipping at Ensley’s cheek.
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Stories
Though David implied that he had killed the dog, he also wasn’t explicit — and the family later changed their story. Though Jenelle initially claimed she was considering divorce, she later denied that David had done anything to Nugget.
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Investigation
Though the police report obtained by Radar Online said that Jenelle claimed to have heard a gunshot, she later recanted. “She advised that she never heard or saw anything to indicate that David shot her dog,” the report continued.
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Courtesy of David Eason/Instagram
No Witnesses
“I don’t know what ended up happening to my dog because I wasn’t outside,” she said according to an interview with TMZ. “You would have to ask David [if Nugget is still alive]. I mean, I still have not asked David to this day.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Assumptions
Though she assumed the dog was dead, she claimed she didn’t know for sure — but eventually admitted that she believed David had shot her. “Yes, I mean, the dog isn’t here,” she said. “I don’t know what happened, and she hasn’t been around since, so I don’t know.”
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Courtesy of David Eason/Instagram
The Truth
On September 9, David finally told his side of the story, clarifying that he did in fact kill Nugget. “The dog was aggressive,” he told People. “Yes, she might not be huge or whatever, but you know when a dog bites a child on the face more than one time, then it should never be around the child again.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Solution
Instead of finding a new home for the pup, David decided to take the matter into his own hands. “If you give the dog up for adoption, one day it’s going to be around children again.”
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Courtesy of David Eason/Instagram
Put Down
“If you call the authorities at that point, the law says the dog has to be euthanized,” he explained. “I’m not going to pay anyone to euthanize my dog when I could do it myself.”
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Courtesy of David Eason/Instagram
Emotional
Despite that — and his passionate defense of his actions in May — he claimed that he still struggled with the decision. “I loved that dog,” he said while crying. “I still think about her every day. It’s really hard for me.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Family Matter
Ultimately, he maintained it was what needed to be done for the safety of his family. “This was something that nobody wants to ever have to do,” he said. “It was a situation where my daughter, her health, her safety was in danger.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Backlash
“A lot of people put me down for it, they hate me for it, but like I said it was not something I wanted to do,” he finished. And despite the hate, Jenelle stands by her man, calling the scandal a “private family issue that happened within our household.”
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Country Life
She claimed it was his nontraditional upbringing that influenced his actions. “David has grown up in the country lifestyle — he hunts, he fishes. The way he was raised is really different than a lot of other places,” she said.
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Courtesy of Jenelle Evans/Instagram
Perspective
“We understand that people ares scared of the whole gun thing, [but] they just don’t understand it from David’s perspective. … His father taught him, ‘Don’t let any animal hurt you’ … and he just thought what he was doing was best.”