(FixThisNation.com) – On Saturday, 67-year-old Louis E. Davis Jr., from Virginia was arrested for fatally shooting his neighbor’s service dog.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) noted in a statement on Monday that the man is being charged with misdemeanor reckless handling of a firearm and felony animal cruelty.
Leslie Snyder, the ACSO Lieutenant, noted during a phone interview with Newsweek that the Bear, a husky, had escaped on Friday morning from the fenced-in yard in his owner’s home. The dog was then shot that morning. It is unknown whether or not Davis knew who the dog belonged to or if he had any previous issues with the service dog.
An August County man, 27, had made a call to 911 a little bit after 8 a.m. on Friday from Waynesboro Animal Hospital where he informed authorities about the shooting. Bear’s owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, revealed to authorities that he had heard the gunshot followed by an animal crying out. After going outside to see what had happened he revealed that his dog had somehow escaped from the fenced-in area of the yard that he was meant to be in.
The dog was then found close to his home on Mormon Gap Road with a gunshot wound to the spine. After arriving at the animal hospital Bear was pronounced dead. S
Snyder revealed during the interview that service animals were protected by additional laws but did not provide any more specific information as there is still an ongoing investigation into the incident.
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