Dog shot to death
Vernon, VT (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009
County: Windham

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Jackie Lee

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Jackie Lee, 37, of Vernon, pleaded not guilty to cruelty to an animal resulting in its death in Windham District Court Tuesday; Lee allegedly shot her neighbor's dog three times in her front yard on Fairman Road, May 21.

When police arrived at the scene due to a 911 call placed by Lee, she was holding a rifle and forbidding her neighbor, Douglas Stocker II, from stepping on her property and taking his dog.

Police escorted Stocker onto the property to retrieve the dead animal and seized Lee's gun.

Lee claimed that she shot the dog because it was chasing her cat.

According to police documents, she said she saw the dog cross her lawn and chase her cat as she was looking out her kitchen window.

She told police she shot the dog once from her door step and it "went down," then she shot it again to make sure it wouldn t bite her, then a third time in the head so that it wouldn't suffer, according to the police report.

"I've called the police about this multiple times, about the dog chasing my horse, my kid and now my cats," she said in a written statement to police.

"I took this matter into my own hands," she said, "to stop that dog from being loose and tormenting my animals and my family."

Briana Fitz and Bobbi Jean Hartwell said the dog got loose from their residence and went onto Lee's property. Hartwell said she never saw a cat in the area.

Stocker said he received a text message that his dog had been shot and came home to retrieve it and take it to the veterinarian for medical attention, but Lee said the dog was dead and ordered him to get off the property.

Lee could face up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines if found guilty.

Case Updates

References

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