Submitted by Fox First at Ten on October 22nd
KHQ.COM - On September 17, 2012, Spokane county resident Mark Vance Hauck pleaded guilty to the charges of Animal Cruelty 2nd degree (RCW 16.52.207) which is a misdemeanor. Hauck admitted to shooting his neighbor's dog with a bow and arrow in an incident on December 3, 2011.
While hunting on his property, Hauck encountered a shepherd mix dog belonging to his neighbor. He stated to the SCRAPS animal protection officer who arrived on the scene that he had chased the animal off of his property once, but it had come back.
At that time, Hauck told the animal protection officer that he became frustrated that the dog had been chasing deer away and shot the animal with his bow and arrow. "We implore owners not to take matters into their own hands no matter what the situation is," said Nancy Hill, director of SCRAPS. "We understand how frustrated people can be with their neighbor's and their pets, but we'd like to remind everyone that our officers are deputized and trained to deal with those situations."
The dog managed to make its way back to its home on the neighboring property, but had to be euthanized due to the extent to its injuries.
"We have laws regarding owning pets and we have laws to protect pets," said Hill. "When something happens, we want people to call SCRAPS and let us handle things for them."
Hauck received a suspended sentence, twenty-four months' probation and was ordered to pay restitution.
