WEXFORD COUNTY, Mich. — One man was arrested for shooting a service dog that was walking with his owner in Colfax Township, the Michigan State Police say.
A man was walking his service dog, a German Shepard named Smokey, off-leash on his driveway on North 33rd Road on Nov. 27. It was dusk, so the dog's owner was wearing a headlight, walking 12 feet behind his dog, police say.
That's when a loud shot fired out and his owner heard Smokey yelp.
Smokey spun in a circle and collared at the edge of his driveway, dying from his wound.
The owner yelled, "Hey, you just shot my dog!" at a man attempting to leave in a truck, police say. The man said he thought the dog was a coyote.
Police arrived and seized the man's firearm. He's identified as 65-year-old Douglas Alan Barnes of Harriette.
Barnes was using a 7MM Browning action rifle with a scope. He told police he was hunting. When a trooper checked the scope, it was set to 3x zoom.
Police say the scope of that gun's model typically indicates at 100 yards. At 3x, the field of view is 40 feet. He was 104 yards away when he fired the shot, troopers say.
Barnes told police he couldn't see anyone walking the animal when he shot him.
A warrant was issued for Barnes' arrest on Dec. 29, and he turned himself in on Jan. 5. He was arraigned in the 84th District Court on one count of killing/torturing animals and one count of reckless/negligent use of a firearm.
He is scheduled to appear in court next on Jan. 23 at 2 p.m.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.
