NH Man Shoots Dog That Wandered Into His Yard
MANCHESTER, NH (CBS) - A dog on vacation with a family in New Hampshire is recovering from gunshot wounds.
Tucker, a five-year-old Australian Shepherd was shot twice.
"He's friendly, very smart, just a good boy and didn't deserve what happened to him," Lynne Furey.
Tucker and his owners, the Furey family from Maryland, were vacationing on a lake in Bristol, New Hampshire.
According to police, Tucker went wandering into Michael Nelson's yard and went to the bathroom. Nelson became angry, grabbed his 9mm handgun and walked down the street to find the dog.
He fired two shots, striking Tucker in his head and foot.
Lynne says, "I heard it, came running down the corner to see him in pain and like I said we all thought he was dying."
Nelson told police the dog charged at him.
"He states that he was in fear for his life so he was shooting to kill the dog," says Lt. Kristopher Bean.
Police say there's no evidence the dog was attacking and Furey insists her dog has never hurt anyone.
"I know he wasn't threatened," she says. "I can't speak to how he felt, but I know he was not threatened by my dog."
The Furey family says it's a miracle Tucker survived. Now they just hope Nelson won't hurt anyone else.
"I'm just happy that he'll possibly lose his gun and not hurt someone else," she says.
Nelson is out on bail but wouldn't speak to WBZ-TV about the incident. Police say he's charged with reckless conduct, not only for shooting the dog, but also for firing a weapon in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
