Dog fatally shot by neighbor in front of children
Sand Springs, OK (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jan 21, 2006
County: Tulsa
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Thomas Avery Guthrie
A Sand Springs man surrendered to Tulsa County sheriff's deputies on a criminal charge alleging that he shot a neighbor's dog he had mistaken for a stray.
Thomas Avery Guthrie, 55, faces a felony count of animal cruelty and a misdemeanor count of recklessly handling a firearm in connection with the shooting, which occurred Januray 21, 2006 near his home. Guthrie turned himself in after learning that the charge had been filed, said his lawyer, Larry Edwards, who would not comment further.
Just before the shooting, the dog was with the son of its owners, the McInturf family, and the son's friends in a field, but it had moved away from them when Guthrie saw it, sheriff's Detective Jim Wolfe said. The children range in age from about 7 to 11, he said. "It's been quite a traumatic experience for Mr. Guthrie and the McInturfs, also," Wolfe said. The dog died where it was shot.
Guthrie told deputies there have been problems with stray dogs in the area, Wolfe said. Deputies were called after the shooting, and a criminal investigation followed, Wolfe said. It's illegal to shoot any dog, whether it's a stray or someone's pet. The McInturfs could not be reached for comment. Wolfe said Guthrie and the McInturfs have been extremely cooperative with deputies in their investigation. Guthrie was jailed but was released after posting bond, the Tulsa Jail's Web site shows.
If convicted of animal cruelty, he could be fined as much as $5,000, imprisoned for five years or held in the county jail for as long as one year, Oklahoma law states. References
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