Bel Air father, son charged with shooting neighbor's dog

MARYLAND -- A Bel Air couple has accused their neighbors of shooting their dog in mid-August, according to court records.

Timothy Robert Kuzma, 50, and his son, Nicholas Kuzma, 19, of the 2500 block of Cool Spring Road, were charged with animal cruelty, according to online court records.

A neighbor told police that at about 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 16, he "heard a loud pop, and immediately saw his dog running down the property line of his neighbor['s] land with its tail between its legs," according to the statement of charges.

The dog had been shot in the back with a pellet gun, and the pellet was surgically removed, according to the statement of charges.

The complainant "believed his neighbor may have shot the dog over a dispute they have been having over some time," according to the statement of charges.

Timothy Kuzma told a Maryland State Police trooper that he told his son to shoot the dog "after it defecated in his yard and intended on just scaring it so it would not come back, at which time Nicholas went inside, recovered the pellet gun and shot the dog," according to the statement.

A trial date has been set for Oct. 21.

(Baltimore Sun - Sept 10, 2013)