A man has been charged with killing a dog in rural Carver County with a bow and arrow because the pet was "ruining" his hunt by chasing deer, according to the County Attorney's Office.
Benjamin L. Schroeder, 33, was charged in District Court last week with felony torture to a pet in the killing of Reba, a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees on Oct. 12 in New Germany.
Schroeder, of New Germany, was charged by summons ahead of a court appearance Friday. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and messages left for him have not been returned.
According to the criminal complaint:
A state conservation officer was called to the 1800 block of 62nd Street and was told by the dog's owner, Daniel Swanson, that a hunter shot and killed Reba on the neighboring property.
The officer went to the property and saw the dog had been shot in the neck.
A different hunter told the officer that he saw two dogs run onto the property that evening in the direction of Schroeder's deer stand. The hunter located the wounded dog and contacted law enforcement.
Two days later, Schroeder told law enforcement that he shot the dog with his compound bow and explained that the dog was chasing a deer and was "ruining his hunt," the complaint read.
