Texas Man Shoots Family Dog Believing It Was Abandoned

A man in Texas was arrested after he shot a dog in the head that he believed was abandoned by a former owner. After seeing what he thought was someone dumping their dog on his property, he took the dog to his backyard and shot it.

How a Texas Man Handles Abandoned Dogs

68-year-old Ritchie Droddy from Jasper County has had to handle dogs that were dumped by their owners on his property. His answer to these abandoned pets was to shoot them, but he was hesitant one day, because he claimed he didn't enjoy putting them down.

In the afternoon of July 28, Droddy, a retiree from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office with 34 years of service, noticed a pickup truck parked in front of his house as he was coming home.

The Events Leading Up to the Dog's Death

He assumed the driver was either dumping trash or an abandoned dog on his property, something Droddy claims happens often.

Later, once the stranger truck left, Droddy entered his shed and was met by a random dog. He saw that the dog was not harmful and was even wearing a collar, although he couldn't see any tags implying ownership.

He then called the Jasper County Sheriff's Office to request someone come out and kill the dog for him. The responding officer on the line, Sergeant Christopher, informed Droddy that that is not lawful when the animal has posed no threat to humans or other animals.

Droddy and his wife eventually fed and briefly took care of the dog which remained to be nothing but friendly to them. One instance, Droddy claimed the dog cornered a barn cat and wouldn't stop growling at it.

Droddy then took matters into his own hands. He untied the dog's leash and escorted it to the backyard where he pointed a gun to the dog's head and pulled the trigger.

Discovering the Owner

After he killed the dog, he finally realized that there were indeed tags on the collar, just difficult to see. Droddy then contacted the owner on the collar and notified the man that his dog, Joe, is dead.

The owner on the phone stated that their family takes Joe on hunting trips, but the dog was recently separated from the family after getting lost.

Droddy then realized that the suspicious pickup truck he noticed earlier that day was not actually tied to the lost dog.

Charged with Animal Cruelty

Droddy was charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal due to the fact that the dog was not posing a threat at the time of the shooting. The cat was not harmed by the brief altercation either.

Droddy turned himself in to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office after a warrant was issued for his arrest. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison with a $10,000 fine for this 3rd degree felony.

On Wednesday morning, Droddy posted his $35,000 bond, releasing himself from jail.