Dog shot to death
Closter, NJ (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2000
County: Bergen
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Bernard M. Iafrate
Maggie, a 100-pound Malamute was shot and killed by the new home buyer. Bernard M. Iafrate, 38, shot and killed the dog with a .22 caliber rifle.
Deegan said, "We found the dog in a pool of blood." Iafrate said he was defending himself and killed it with a long-handled ice hacker.
Deegan said the story didn't add up and eventually Iafrate admitted the deed. He told Sgt Donn Deegan he intended to keep Maggie but shot her because she became aggressive when he tried to feed her. Irafrate legally owns the rifle.
Iafrate was charged with animal cruelty and discharging a firearm, which violates a borough ordinance. He was issued summonses and ordered to appear in Municipal Court.
"When (Iafrate) bought the house, he agreed to take on the dog as a package deal," the sergeant said.
"We found a grave he had dug on the side of the house, so he was intending to kill the dog," he said.
A caretaker that had been feeding Maggie, was told by Deegan the dog somehow got access to the house and left behind quite a mess.
A policeman told Iafrate they could have called them, we would have called the animal shelter and that would have been the end of it. References- The Record of Hackensack NJ - June 30, 2000
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