The Pasco County Sheriff Office says that 55-year-old Hugh Matthew Schnacky aimed his .22-caliber rifle at a two-year-old black Labrador named Hunter last month and shot him for crossing his property line in Hudson.
A police report states Schnacky was behind his front gate when he shot the dog, who was 145 feet away.
Schnacky was arrested on Sunday and charged with one count of animal cruelty. He was released on $5,000 bond several hours after his arrest. This is his first arrest in Florida.
The Patsches family is dealing with the loss of their beloved pet, who they describe as gentle. No one was at home when Hunter was shot and the family found out about his death from neighbors.
'I would pet him and he would lick me,' 12-year-old Samuel Patsches told FOX13 Tampa Bay. '(I'm) sad and mad. I cry about it sometimes.'
After arriving home and finding Hunter missing, Randall Patsches and his son went out looking for the dog. As they were driving by a nearby street, a woman stopped them and told them what had happened.
Randall Patsches then went to confront Schnacky about the shooting, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Schnacky told Patsches he shot the dog since it went on his property. When Patsches pressed about where the body was, Schnacky told him he loaded it in a pickup truck and drove to a nearby dumpster where he deposited the carcass.
Even worse, when Patsches and his son went to the dumpster to retrieve Hunter, they found it had been emptied.
Since they have no body to bury, the Patsches family has not created any grave or memorial for Hunter. The Patsches have another dog, Bella, who would play with Hunter.
'Bella always kept him going, playing, bugging him,' Samuel Patsches told the Tampa Bay Times. He liked to stay outside and lay and sit in the sun. And now he's in heaven. Having fun.'
(Daily Mail - Mar 11, 2014)
How is shooting a loose dog, on YOUR property animal cruelty? I am sure he was a sweet dog, but a loose dog can still be a menace.
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