According to an incident report, Brett Butler, 44, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals as well as reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, both felonies.
Though the shot didn't hit the dog, the animal ran away prompting Butler to chase the dog in his pickup. Eventually, Butler spotted the dog not far from his residence on Meachum Road and fired two shots with the shotgun, with the second shot proving deadly.
A witness heard the shots from her home and walked outside to see the dog running from a neighbor's yard onto her property. The witness stated the dog fell in her front yard near the mailbox and also said she saw a green truck driven by Butler stopped at the intersection of Clifton and Meachum Road. Butler reportedly told the woman he shot the animal because the dog killed some of his chickens.
When members of the DCSO arrived to investigate the incident, they found two spent 12-gauge shells in the front lawn and discovered the angle of the spent shells to where the wadding was located indicated the gun was fired in the direction of the residence on Meachum Road.
Deputies then went to Butler's residence and were met in the driveway where Butler acknowledged knowing why they were there. Butler stated to the deputies that he shot the dog because it killed some of his chickens and knocked his wife to the ground. Butler was then asked to show evidence of the dead chickens, which were found laying on the ground at the back side of his barn.
Butler was then taken into custody and transported to the Dyer County Law Enforcement Center where he was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals as well as reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
(State Gazette - January 18, 2015)
