Lone Pine JB
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 2461 |
3 dogs shot in Pennsylvania
Police have arrested a man accused of killing three hunting dogs.
The suspect is a 38 year-old man.
Police will not identify the suspect but they say he will be charged Tuesday with animal cruelty and disorderly conduct.
Here's the story:
Hunter's three beagles are killed in the field
Monday, October 30, 2006
By Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Friday was a day off work for Larry Nahay, to be spent in rustic climes with a few buddies and his faithful companions at his side. Minnie, Millie, and Maddy, pure-bred beagles who loved nothing better than a trek through the woods with their master, were as excited as ever.
Mr. Nahay and his troupe had landed in Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland County, about a 30-minute drive from his home in Jefferson Hills. Since it's small game season, they were set on hunting rabbits.
Now, Mr. Nahay and the Pennsylvania State Police, as well as the Pennsylvania Game Commission, are hunting for game of the two-legged variety: the person who fired multiple shots at point-black range into Minnie, Millie and Maddy, killing the dogs.
"I just can't believe that something like this happened. I've been hunting since I was about 10 years old, and I never even heard of somebody doing something like this," said Mr. Nahay, 49.
State police at the Alle-Kiski barracks confirmed that Mr. Nahay was lawfully hunting in a nonposted tract of woods off Route 981 about 5 p.m. Friday when an unknown person used a handgun to slaughter the beagles.
Mr. Nahay is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the killer. Likely charges to be filed are cruelty to animals and interfering with hunting, violations of the state crimes and games codes, respectively.
The hunting party had gotten permission to hunt in the woods earlier in the day from the farmer who owns the land.
"The guy was a relative of one of my friends," Mr. Nahay said.
Armed with 12-gauge shotguns, the group was in a valley when the dogs caught the trail of a rabbit. Baying and running, they pursued the trail up a hill while Mr. Nahay and his friends waited below.
All of a sudden, they heard the sounds of shots being fired: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
"We took off up the hill," he said.
As he was running toward the sound of the shots, Mr. Nahay realized that he was no longer hearing the characteristic baying of his dogs.
He began calling the animals: "Millie! Maddy! Minnie!"
Within minutes, he found the dogs dead, lying next to each other within a 10-foot bloody circle. But he saw no one around.
"Whoever did this murdered them. He slaughtered them. They were shot at point-blank range," he said.
Mr. Nahay said he was sure that the culprit couldn't have felt threatened by the animals.
"They were friendly. They were used to being around people. Heck, they don't even come up to the middle of your shins," he said.
State police Trooper Ronald Salandro is investigating.
A maintenance technician at the Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh City Center, Downtown, Mr. Nahay has no children, though he said he is close to the family of his girlfriend. He said his dogs were like family.
Minnie had been with Mr. Nahay for 12 years, Maddy for seven years and Millie for two years. Now, all he has left is Charlie, a 5-year-old beagle who was left at home because she has arthritis, and two 6-month-old pups from Millie's recent litter.
"They were real good dogs. They took a long time to train. They're worth a lot more than money to me," he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the state police at 724-727-3434.
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10-31-2006 06:05 PM
