Hutchinson County Sheriff Looking For Person Who Shot A Dog

When I read about this from the Hutchinson County Sheriff's Department on their Facebook page I was completely appalled.  Who would injure an animal, let alone shoot one. Someone in Fritch did just that.

Cooper the German Shepard was found injured in the 100 block of Ranch Road in Fritch Saturday. The Sheriff’s department originally thought the dog was suffering from several bites from possibly another animal; however X-Rays discovered the dog had been shot.

The owners of Cooper were located sometime after the dog received veterinary attention. A reward has been offered for any information leading to the person or persons involved with this horrible act of animal abuse.

Texas criminal laws only apply to domesticated animals, such as house pets and livestock defined as domesticated living creatures or any wild living creature previously captured and subject to a person’s care and control. The scope of civil laws are broader and do not differentiate between domestic and wild animals, however, civil statutes adopt a much narrower definition of what constitutes cruelty. Therefore, people could engage in actions that are not prosecutable under Texas criminal laws, but they would be held liable for their actions under civil laws. Animal cruelty is a felony and punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail. The law was named for a puppy called Loco, whose eyes were intentionally gouged out. Prior to Loco’s Law, animal cruelty was not considered a felony under Texas law. Today, animal cruelty convictions are classified as either a felony or misdemeanor.

If you have any information please contact the Hutchinson County Sheriff’s Department at 806.273.0930 and asks to speak with Deputy Tucker.