Daniel Smith shot and killed Rosie the chihuahua

[Jaded]

A Heiskell man is charged with shooting a dog, and the dog's owners say they hope the charges prevent something like this from happening again.

"He didn't have to kill her. She was such a tiny little thing, 6 pounds," said Fay Loriaux.

Loriaux is mourning the loss of her dog, after she says her neighbor shot the chihuahua while Loriaux was just feet away.

Now, Daniel Smith of Heiskell is facing charges in Rosie the Chihuahua's death.

Loriaux says the dog walked into Daniel Smith's yard right before Smith shot the dog earlier this month. He is now charged with intentional killing of an animal and reckless endangerment.

[...]

On April 13, Loriaux said Rosie started running with some other dogs, and as she tried to coax Rosie back to the roadway, the dog was shot by Smith in his yard, two houses down.

"I said 'Why did you have to hurt my dog?' and as I picked her up, I looked at him, and I said 'You didn't have to kill her,' and he said, 'Don't you know about leashes and collars?'"

An incident report says the dog appeared to have been shot with a small caliber weapon through the left eye. It also says the dog was about 25 yards from its own home.

"I was within how many feet, maybe 30 feet of her. I said to him, 'You heard me calling her.' He said no."

The Loriauxs say no one ever complained about their dog, and they plan to file a civil suit.

[...]

Anderson county does not have its own leash law, but the county does enforce a state law that says owners must have control of their animals at all times.

http://tennessean.com/article/200904...23050/0/NEWS03

[Kitty]

While I am sorry for the way her dog was killed, and in no way condone the behavior of the neighbor; the owner should have had her dog behind a fence or on a leash. The dog could have just as easily been killed by a passing car.

[FlightForm]

You know, I'm all for people being able to protect their property from vicious dogs, but come on!! What was she gunna do to the man? Nibble on his toe?
Daniel Smith - you might think you are all badass killing the neighbor's dog, but ya know what... A real man would have helped the lady out. Ya done tore up yer man card!!.....Pathetic......

[LocalCelebrity]

Ya done tore up yer man card!!.....Pathetic......

Tore up your man card....that's funny. And, what a fuckin piece of shit. A 6 pound dog? Thats smaller then a lot of newborn babies. What a fucking asshole.

[Eagles Mom]

You know, I'm all for people being able to protect their property from vicious dogs, but come on!! What was she gunna do to the man? Nibble on his toe?
Daniel Smith - you might think you are all badass killing the neighbor's dog, but ya know what... A real man would have helped the lady out. Ya done tore up yer man card!!.....Pathetic......

While I do think the guy is a complete and total loser for shooting the dog, two of the worst dog bites I've had have come from chihuahuas.

Considering I've been bitten by 60-70 lb dogs as well, that's saying something.