- New York, USA -
On Tuesday, January 26, in Yates County Criminal Court, Judge Jason Cook sentenced 35-year-old WAYNE HOOVER (pictured below), on his conviction for felony aggravated animal cruelty.
HOOVER had shot and killed his neighbor’s dog, a Husky named Shima, off Prosser Road near Branchport in February 2020.
Judge Cook sentenced HOOVER to 45 days into the county jail, 200 hours of community service, and five years probation.
Times reports that when HOOVER was arrested by a state Department of Environmental Conservation officer, he was also charged with discharging a firearm over a public highway, a misdemeanor.
HOOVER claimed Shima was aggressive toward children and animals and came on his property.
The Chronicle Express reports that Assistant District Attorney Alyxandra Stanczak told the court that Shima was not on HOOVER’s property.
Times reports that Shima’s guardian, Mr. Joseph Romer, called them a while after the incident and said that his furbaby was not on HOOVER’s farm when HOOVER shot her, but on his brother-in-law’s property.
Stanczak also told the court that a necropsy was performed on Shima and results showed she had been shot in the side rather than head-on.
District Attorney Todd Casella said that HOOVER is also barred from owning firearms and that Judge Cook issued a stay-away order of protection, barring HOOVER from having contact with his neighbors.
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