 Barked: Tue Aug 14, '12 7:31pm PST |
 | |  | | This happened the other day in my local area. I actually know the guy that did this, but some things are rather fishy. You can't view the whole article online, so I'll write it here what was printed in the local paper. Names and addresses will be kept out though.
"There's no question about what happened. Before 4 p.m. on Friday, Kankakee County sheriff's police were called to Kim and Nancy **** home on ***** road in Kankakee where Kim told an officer that Cole, his 2-year-old, 54-pound black labrador, had been shot.
He had been cutting a tree with a chainsaw when he heard a gunshot, then saw his dog run through the yard and lay by the side of the house, coughing up blood.
He told the officer that he thought is next-door neighbor, Dick P., who owns [a local store] in Kankakee, shot the dog.
Dick P. admitted that he was in the backyard and fired one shot at the lab with a .25 caliber handgun when the dog was about 8 feet away and ready to attack. The dog ran back into its yard and Dick P. went back to work.
The dog died later that day at [local] Animal Hospital. Kim told police the bullet went through its esophagus and lodged in its shoulder.
But why the dog was shot depends on who's answering the question.
"A sad thing happened," Dick P. said in a written statement. "I shot one of my neighbor's dogs. I am so sorry for their loss."
Dick P. said he shot the dog in self-defense. He told police he had been walking near the back of his property when the dog charged him and appeared to be getting ready to attack. He said in the statement that the dog had attacked him before.
On Friday, he told police that he has called Kankakee County Animal Control several times in reference to the dog running loose and coming onto his property to bark and growl at him.
"After the first vicious encounter, I decided to keep my small handgun in my pocket when I was in the yard, even if it was just to walk out to my garage, " Dick P. said.
Nancy said she and her husband were visited by animal control personnel on multiple occasions and were advised to keep the dog on a leash when someone wasn't supervising him. She said her lab was anything but vicious and usually never left their property.
Animal control said they were aware of the dog and situation, but had no further comment.
No charges have been filed. An investigation into the shooting remains open at the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, sain Ken M., chief deputy for the sheriff's department.
Dick P. has a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card. Legal gun owners have the right to protect themselves against death or great bodily harm while on their own property.
"You have the right to defend yourself," Ken M said.
Kim and Nancy called the police again on Sunday, disturbed that Dick P. had put a basket of flowers and an apology card near their clothes line, on which sheets stained with the dog's blood had been hung. The homeowners told police they believe the flowers were put there to upset them more. Police told Dick P. to stay off their property."
Okay, so this guy is an older guy who always seemed a bit off whenever I would talk to him. By off, he just didn't seem totally connected with the world. He'd talk to you like he knew you but look at you in way that suggested he thought he knew you but couldn't quite remember.
He also seems, to me, like the kind of guy who would get fed up with a dog in his yard and just shoot it to be done with it. The fact that he shot it, told nobody and just went to work like nothing happened is disturbing to me. Also, the flower thing really isn't that big of a deal. He's doing quite well in the money department and the local store he owns sells flowers...
Now, the owners aren't exactly innocent either. Whether or not the dog was "vicious" we don't know...but the dog obviously left their property due to previous complaints, and they didn't seem to correct that problem after visits with animal control.
But one can only shoot an animal if it's threatening life and limb...not because it's wandering about in your yard.
I don't know...a big he said, she said debate. But the guy who shot the dog knows a lot of people...so I'm betting not much effort is going to be looked into on this case. Although, it did make the front page of the paper. It will be interesting to see if they publish any updates....or maybe I'll run into a farmer who has to local gossip.
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