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Man charged in coonhound shooting incident
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Mar 30, 2013 (The Hawk Eye - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
A man who admitted shooting two coonhounds on his property last weekend has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty.
William Totemeier, 51, 17654 Des Moines Henry Ave., turned himself in Friday afternoon at the Des Moines County jail. He was released a short time later after posting a $4,000 bond.
In addition to the animal cruetly charges, he also is accused of fourth-degreee criminal mischief for burning the GPS collars of the two coonhounds.
Totemeier initially denied shooting the dogs but eventually told authorities he shot the coonhounds because they were on his property scaring his cattle.
If convicted of the animal cruelty charges, he could be sentenced to two years in prison on each count. The criminal mischief charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. He also could be fined up to $6,250 on each count and placed on probation instead of going to jail.
Steven Ort, Totemeier's attorney, issued a statement concerning the charges.
"Mr. Totemeier regrets having to take the action he took to protect his livestock and his person," Ort said. "Iowa law allows landowners and others to protect their domestic animals from dogs running at large and threatening those domestic animals.
"He is disappointed that the owners of the animals failed to take appropriate steps to protect their dogs by having them under control and keeping them where they had permission to be. Mr. Totemeier suffered a broken fence line and other property damage as a result of the dogs' actions.
"Mr. Totemeier, who is himself a dog owner, has every right to protect his property as allowed by Iowa law."
The dogs, a black-and-tan and a redbone, were shot during a raccoon hunt organized by the United Kennel Club last weekend near New London. The controlled hunt, which was sponsored by the local club in Mediapolis, involved several "casts."
A "cast" is small group of hunters, usually four people, with a judge and a guide.
Lloyd Duncan and Ernie Anderson both were pleased when told Friday Totemeier will face charges in the shooting of their dogs, Bobby and Dixie.
"The sheriff's department and the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) are doing what they can," Duncan said. "I'm glad he was (cited). It's not a revenge thing for me. I just think he should be prosecuted for what he did to our dogs. I hope he gets what he deserves."
Anderson agreed.
"I think it's a good deal," the Davenport man said. "I hope it's going to make other people think before they do something like he did ... I don't understand the guy at all. I live in the country, and we see dogs all the time ... But we don't kill them."
Duncan, who lives in Salem, said there was no reason for Totemeier to shoot the dogs.
"I've been at this (coon hunting) for 30 years," he said. "Whether you like me or not, people know I am a responsible person. I love my dogs and I would never put them in harm's way."
Both men also were upset Totemeier allegedly misled law enforcement officers while they frantically searched for their animals.
"He lied and lied," Anderson said. "He should have just told the truth."
Investigators said Totemeier initially told them he shot at the dogs but didn't hit them. However, when confronted with the GPS tracking coordinates the owners of the dead dogs were using, he admitted to shooting the dogs and trying to burn their GPS collars in a wood stove near his residence.
"Upon investigation, it was found the defendant did shoot two dogs that had come onto his property," according to a probable cause affidavit. "Defendant admitted to shooting the dogs because they were disturbing his cattle.
"After shooting the dogs, the defendant removed the collars and threw them into his woodburner stove by his shed. Defendant said he destroyed the GPS devices so the dogs could not be located."
Duncan disagreed with the accusation his dogs were disturbing Totemeier's cattle.
"I don't want to get into all of the evidence, but I will say this: They were no where near his cattle when he killed those dogs," he said.
Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone, who could not be reached for comment Friday, said earlier this week his investigators and Department of Natural Resources officer Paul Kay were examing several factors before making a final decision on whether charges would be filed.
"One of the key issues is whether the farmer had justification in shooting the dogs," Johnstone said. "Iowa law is pretty clear: If a dog is in the act of chasing, maiming or killing a domestic animal, the shooting would be justified. ... We are trying to determine exactly what the dogs were doing when they were shot."
Kay and the deputies went to Totemeier's home late last Saturday. When they arrived, they were met by a group of hunters from the Mediapolis area. The men wanted help dealing with Totemeier, who they believed shot two of their dogs after they treed a raccoon behind his house.
According to several club members, Anderson and Duncan had two of their dogs in a cast. Anderson said he was letting a friend handle his dog, Bobby, while he was with another cast.
Anderson said his dog, Bobby, and Duncan's dog, Dixie, were wearing GPS collars during the hunt. The dogs got away from their handlers and eventually took off. The hunters heard barking, then gunshots. However, they couldn't tell in which direction the shots were fired. The sounds of the dogs barking fell silent.
The group began searching for the dogs on foot and in vehicles. The hunters checked their GPS devices and determined the dogs were about a mile west of where they were turned loose, said Curtis Messer, a club member involved in the hunt.
When members of the club confronted the farmer near where the GPS system indicated the dogs should be, Totemeier told them to "get off my property."
The men returned to their clubhouse and called the sheriff's department. Several club members returned to the farmhouse and waited for deputies to arrive.
During the interview with detectives, Totemeier eventually admitted to shooting the dogs and burning their collars. Deputies were able to retrieve the dead dogs and return them to their owners, Duncan and Anderson said.
Duncan said he and his partner, Laura Schackleford, are distraught over their dog's death.
"To us, Dixie was not just a great coon dog," she said. "She was a part of us. Lloyd and I don't have children together, but together, we had Dixie. Of course I knew the dangers of hunting, but I never thought something like this would happen.
"There are a lot of emotions we are dealing with in our home. We don't understand why she was killed and probably never will. Coon dogs come and go, but for me, there will never be another Dixie. I would like to see justice done, but what I really want cannot be brought back to me."
___ (c)2013 The Hawk Eye (Burlington, Iowa) Visit The Hawk Eye (Burlington,
Iowa) at www.thehawkeye.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
Andy Hoffman
Copyright (C) 2013, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa
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