Q: Hi, my question is in regards to pressing charges against an individual that killed my dog, story below, thanks.
Back ground, my dog was unleashed but in my yard, she smelled something in the woods backing up to our yard, went to check it out and was shot twice. There is documented evidence of illegal deer baiting, my dog had found a carcass of a deer, when she was shot), a witness stated they saw a gun being aimed out of a back door. I was about 10 feet away from her, calling her, when the shots were fired. My dog was very docile, never aggressive and liked in my neighborhood. I believe she was either shot for interupting an illegal bait in a residental area, or got in the way of them taking a shot at deer in the neighborhood. The individual came out of the woods with their own dog approx. 3 mins. After she came running out from behind the trees and into my house. He never admitted to it. filed a police report and complaint with conservation but it doesn't appear that any charges have been filed or action taken. My question is what our next options might be to ask for an investigation, charges.
A: I'm sorry to hear about your dog getting shot. That's terrible. Unfortunately, you cannot "press charges" because you are not the prosecutor. You can and did file a police report. Without a witness, I can understand why nothing further has been done by law enforcement. You could file civil suit seeking damages but it would be your burden to prove that the defendant unjustifiably shot your dog.
2 users found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
