BERLIN, NH – Online tips to police about a dog found shot in the woods has led to an animal cruelty investigation.
Police say a man shot his own dog claiming the animal was dangerous.
Commenters on Facebook were livid over the news but did the owner do anything wrong?
Is it against the law to shoot your dog? It’s something police are investigating in the wake of public outcry.
The New Hampshire Police Department has been flooded with calls since the dog was found shot to death in the woods Tuesday.
As rumors and anger raged on social media, police found the dog’s owner to ask what happened.
The owner told officers the dog had attacked children numerous times.
According to police, the owner first tried to give away the white and brown mixed breed pup on Facebook.
Authorities said the owner then decided the dog was too dangerous and that probably wasn’t a good option so he put it down himself.
It’s not clear why the owner didn’t take the dog to a shelter or vet but officers said he was sad about the dog’s death.
“It’s illegal to torture your animal or to whip your animal or any such thing that may be deemed as cruel under that statute,” Berlin Police Lt. Dan Buteau said. “Under that particular statute it does not talk about putting a dog down, essentially, due to it being dangerous.”
Under the animal cruelty statute, the crime can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony.
Anyone found guilty could face a fine or possible jail time.
