Cruelty charge dismissed

Published 10:17 pm Friday, September 3, 2010

Charges were dismissed Tuesday against a man accused of shooting his neighbor’s Chihuahua with a BB gun in January.

According to prosecutor Susan Walton, the case against Thomas Baker was dismissed, because police never saw proof of an injury to the dog and there were no further problems between the neighbors.

According to Walton, the incident allegedly took place after Baker claimed the dog, named Porkchop, was relieving itself in his yard. The dog’s owner reported that Baker shot the dog with a BB gun.

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Porkchop’s owner reported his dog had yelped and ran like he had been hit, and that there was a knot on the right side of its neck. Baker was charged with cruelty to animals.

“The police didn’t see any injury to the dog,” Walton said.

The case was continued several times while the court took it under advisement. When there were no further problems, the case was dismissed.