A Mountain City man faces a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty charge for shooting a dog twice in the back of its neck late May 17.
Richard Roscoe Ledford Jr. also was charged with aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act for shooting toward a woman with whom he lived, discharging a firearm while under the influence and discharging a firearm near a public roadway.
Authorities were called to the residence on North Street about 10:30 p.m. Alexis Irene McLaren told dispatchers that Ledford had shot her and the dog, said Rabun County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Hunter.
McLaren also told dispatchers that Ledford was standing over her with a gun threatening to kill her and any officers who came to the residence.
Clayton police were the first to arrive, and Sgt. Troy Taylor saw a man walking through the residence with a "long gun," according to police reports. Police ordered him to come outside with his hands up. He and another man who lives at the residence were handcuffed while officers cleared the house.
McLaren was inside talking to dispatchers, and two shotguns loaded with slugs, .410 and 12-gauge were inside.
Hunter said McLaren was checked for bullet wounds, and none was found. She then was detained in handcuffs, along with the two men, while authorities conducted their investigation.
"They were all extremely intoxicated," he said.
Sheriff's Lt. Jack Tanksley said the woman was sitting next to the dog when Ledford shot it. "I guess in her mind she thought she was shot too," he said.
Deputies found four holes inside the residence made by .410 slugs, Hunter said. Two were found beside a dog bed in one room, and two were in an adjacent bedroom. Dog hair was matted to where the slug ricocheted next to a dresser.
The dog, a 35-pound black mixed breed, was found outside. "It looked terrible," Hunter said. "We petted the dog after we found it in the neighbor's yard. It was scared."
The other man who lives at the residence told authorities he was putting down flooring in the living room when he heard just two shots. The dog then ran through the room, and he let it outside.
The dog was taken to Rabun Animal Hospital, where Stephen Arbitter performed an emergency procedure to stop the bleeding. He finished removing slug fragments the next day. The shots went through the dog's neck and missed all vital organs. The dog was still receiving treatment for tissue damage Tuesday.
"It was definitely at close range because it really opened up the dog good," Arbitter said.
Ledford told a neighbor he shot the dog because it wouldn't quit barking, Hunter said. Lt. Robert York was standing next to the neighbor when he was talking to Ledford about the incident.
Hunter said he was unsure to whom the dog belonged and about the specifics of the relationship between Ledford and McLaren.
Meanwhile, McLaren was still in the back of a patrol car when she started screaming. She wasn't suspected of a crime, but she was then charged with disorderly conduct for shouting an expletive followed by "redneck cops. I'm going to burn down Rabun County," Hunter said.
McLaren was being transferred to another patrol car for the ride to jail when she began kicking deputies. She was then charged with obstruction of an officer.
Both she and Ledford remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of bond.
The female dog soon may get a new home. Arbitter said he expected to move the dog to a shelter this week.
Penny Burkitt, president of Boggs Mountain Humane Shelter, said arrangements had been made to transfer the dog to a "partnering shelter, so it will be guaranteed a safe placement.
"We're going to make sure the animal is not going to stay in Rabun County, where it could get into another or the same dangerous situation."
Arbitter said the dog had a short tail and "a sweet, little gentle face." He estimated it was about 2 years old, but he knew little else about it, including its name.
"We're calling her 911," he said. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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