A graphic 2013 cellphone video is circulating again on social media. It shows the man who runs down the sand and yanks a large dog off a bloodied sea lion pup: Mark Kelly, now the Democrat U.S. senator from Arizona.
The Gateway Pundit flagged the story the same week it broke.
The video began circulating widely again after Mark Kelly posted a tribute to Nelson on X, writing, “It’s now been 3 years since Nelson passed away. He was @GabbyGiffords’ service dog after her injury and a member of our family for over 10 years. We still miss him every day.”
It’s now been 3 years since Nelson passed away. He was @GabbyGiffords’ service dog after her injury and a member of our family for over 10 years. We still miss him every day. pic.twitter.com/l16abSNcnu
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) September 3, 2026
X user @AZJohnnyC responded to Kelly’s post by sharing video of the incident and writing, “What about your other dog, @CaptMarkKelly? The one you couldn’t control?” At the time of writing, the video had racked up more than 4 million views on X.
On Saturday, March 23, 2013, Kelly’s then-18-year-old daughter, Claudia, was walking her 65-pound American bulldog mix, Shiner, on a leash at Goff Island Beach below the Montage Laguna Beach resort. The family was vacationing in Laguna Beach. The dog ripped free, charged a beached baby sea lion, and locked onto it.
Witness video captured the chaos. The teenager screamed and cried. Two other women tried to pull the dog off. Minutes passed. Then Kelly arrived, grabbed the collar, and shook the dog until it released the animal. The pup later died.
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
A senior adviser for Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun-control PAC Kelly and then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had just launched, confirmed the dog belonged to Giffords’ stepdaughter. Giffords was not at the scene. Kelly crated the dog and spoke with police. The PAC called it “a sad accident.”
Laguna Beach police ultimately determined that no crime had been committed. Investigators said the dog was legally permitted on the beach, had been leashed before breaking free, and had not been deliberately ordered to attack the sea lion.
A bystander named Nathan, who declined to give his last name, filmed the scene while eating lunch nearby and posted it to YouTube. He told CBS Los Angeles he did not know who the family was when he hit record.
“It was pretty much just panic,” he said. “People didn’t know how to act when a dog of this size just locked down.”
Laguna Beach Police Capt. Jason Kravetz told reporters the dog had been leashed and that it was legal to have a dog on that stretch of beach at that time of year.
The animal was simply strong enough to pull free when it spotted the sea lion. Police said they would not cite the owner and would not file charges.
“The police said the Kelly family did nothing wrong and no one will face any charges,” CBS Los Angeles reported.
The post GOING VIRAL AGAIN: Disturbing 2013 Video Shows Now-Sen. Mark Kelly Yanking Family Dog Off Dying Sea Lion Pup on Laguna Beach — Pup Died, No Charges Filed appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
