Dog shot to death
Rio Rancho, NM (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Oct 9, 2010
County: Sandoval

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Jeff Goodner

An attempt to silence a barking dog turned fatal Saturday night outside a Rio Rancho home after a man shot it.

Jeff Goodner, 53, was tired of hearing his next door neighbor's Chihuahua so he allegedly threw a few rocks in its direction in the hopes it would quiet down. But the dog continued to bark from its porch so Goodner grabbed a pellet gun and fired toward the dog, according to a Rio Rancho police report.

Goodner later told police that he tried to shoot over the dog, but he heard a yelp and realized that he had shot the 8-month-old Chihuahua.

Goodner watched as the dog made its way to the front door of its home on 10th Avenue and lay down.

A short time later, the dog's teen owner found it on the front step, lifeless and bleeding from its mouth, according to the police report.

The youth became distraught and ran to several neighboring homes to call his parents. The teen soon made it to Goodner's home, not knowing Goodner was responsible for the shooting, the police report states.

Goodner did not tell the teen what had happened to the Chihuahua and instead said to him "that dog was a real yapper," according to the report.

Rio Rancho's Animal Control department had not received complaints about the Chihuahua's barking or its causing a disturbance, according to spokesman John Francis.

Goodner was cited for animal cruelty and for inappropriately firing the pellet gun. He will have to appear in Rio Rancho Municipal Court at a later date.

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