Dog shot for eating cat food
Semmes, AL (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 8, 2011
County: Mobile
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Roy McDuffie
A Semmes, Ala. man was booked into Mobile Metro Jail Thursday on animal cruelty charges. The Mobile County Sheriff's Office said he shot a neighbor's dog for eating his cat's food.
Roy McDuffie, 68, doesn't look like the type of guy you would see at Metro Jail.
"I try to get along with everybody, but sometimes you just can't do it," said McDuffie.
It's a product of a long-running dispute between him and his neighbor.
McDuffie's wife Margie said the neighbor's dogs would constantly come over to their yard and eat their cat's food, steal their bowls and at one point, one even growled at her.
"It's our backyard and we had asked her kindly to keep the dogs over there, but they came back," said Margie McDuffie.
After several attempts to keep them out, Roy McDuffie jumped before he thought. He said he was only trying to scare them away but accidentally shot one.
"I didn't mean to hurt the dog, but I did. And like I said, I was not intending to do that. I just didn't want to hurt the dog, but I did and it's done," said McDuffie.
Because of it, he was issued his first arrest warrant. Sgt. Jo Mahoney with the Sherriff's Office said McDuffie turned himself in.
"In Alabama, if you shoot or injure an animal without good cause, it's a class B misdemeanor," said Mahoney.
McDuffie said he regrets his actions and wishes he would have pursued legal action instead of grabbing his gun.
"From now on, I will go to the legal system and find out what my rights are and everything," said McDuffie.
McDuffie is scheduled to appear in court in January. References |
