BRISTOL, Maine (AP) — A 41-year-old Maine man was arrested over the weekend after the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department found that he shot and killed his 6-month-old dog.
Lt. Michael Murphy says Shawn Wilkie was arrested in Bristol on Saturday and was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
Deputies dispatched to Wilkie’s home discovered his dead fox terrier tethered outside.
Wilkie initially told police that he heard two shots and his dog yelp before finding the dog shot. He later said he accidentally shot the animal in an attempt to kill a chipmunk.
An examination of the dog found that he had been killed by a .177-caliber pellet, which caused internal bleeding.
It wasn’t known if Wilkie had a lawyer; a message was left at his home.
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