Michael Hutchinson shot and killed tiny terrier with pellet gun; charged with animal cruelty

OREGON -- A man is in jail after allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun.

Michael Hutchinson, 59, was arrested on first-degree animal abuse charges after a small terrier named Marley was killed at a home on SE Harney Street.

RIP Marley

“I honestly have no idea (why he would shoot my dog),” said Angela, Marley’s co-owner. “I think something is wrong with him, but he had cats and stuff so I don’t know why he would shoot my dog. Maybe because he was barking at him.”

“He was such a nice dog, too. I was not expecting it,” she said. “Didn’t have him for long. Thought I was going to have him for a long time.”

She said she never had a problem with Hutchinson. However, she said, she had a cat a few years ago that was also shot and killed in the neighborhood.

Court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News reveal after the dog was let outside around 12:30, its owner came back outside to check on Marley and saw him coming from the backyard with a limp.

Deputy District Attorney Nicole Jergovic, who prosecutes the county’s animal abuse cases, wrote in court documents that Marley limped over, sat down and then died within a few minutes.

Marley’s family told police that they suspected Hutchinson as the shooter because he has been upset because Marley has chased the nutria around the property and they know Hutchinson has a pellet rifle that he uses to kill large rats that live in the yard, court documents state.

When contacted by police, Hutchinson told police that he was shooting nutria and admitted to shooting the dog. But, police said he said the dog had been shot three days earlier. Officers confronted Hutchinson about his statements. Eventually, Hutchinson admitted to shooting the dog.

“The defendant admitted he was mad at Marley for chasing one of the wild Nutria that the defendant feeds and said he shot [Marley] from a distance of about 24-feet,” court documents state.

Hutchinson has been charged with one count each of aggravated animal abuse, first-degree animal abuse, theft possession of a loaded firearm and discharging a firearm within city limits.

He appeared in court on Friday where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf by a court appointed attorney.

He is expected back in court in February.

(KOIN - January 24, 2014)