Middlefield, CT: ‘I PUT A BULLET IN HIS HEAD’:

Middlefield man allegedly shot, killed
his girlfriend’s German shepherd dog
Published: Friday, August 06, 2010

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By Press Staff

A Middlefield man is under investigation by state animal control officers and the Connecticut Humane Society after allegedly shooting his girlfriend’s dog.

The dog, a 5-year-old German shepherd named “Buddy,” moved into his new home in Middlefield on July 26. Less than 48 hours later, he was dead, according to an article first reported in the Greenwich Time.

Buddy came from Leader of the Rescue Pack, an adoption network in Rowayton, who rescued the dog from the Connecticut Humane Society’s Westport shelter on July 22.

Just after the dog was placed with the foster family, the boyfriend of the woman who was looking to adopt him permanently called the Rowayton group and said the dog had bitten his girlfriend, according to the Greenwich Time. The boyfriend called back later and allegedly said “Buddy is never going to bite anyone again. I just put a bullet in his head.”

A state representative reportedly tipped off state animal control officers about the incident last week. The Greenwich Time reports that the chief state animal control officer has confirmed an investigation.

Buddy’s foster parents never signed final adoption papers for Buddy, leaving the Leader of the Rescue Pack as the official owners.

Killing another person’s dog is punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 maximum fine, according to the state’s animal control office. If it can be established that a case of animal cruelty occurred, the sentence goes up to one year. A five-year sentence applies if malicious intent - a felony — can be proven.