WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A man who shot his neighbor’s dog and dumped the carcass in a river was sentenced Monday to a year on probation.
Jeffrey Buttles, 60, pleaded no contest to mistreatment of animals causing death, and dognapping, for the Jan. 16, 2019 incident.
On the mistreatment charge, if Buttles successfully completes probation, the felony charge will be dismissed as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Judge Troy Nielsen also ordered Buttles to perform 50 hours of community service.
“His life needs to be changed forever just like mine,” Beese said.
Beese said his family moved because they didn’t want to live at the scene of the incident. And, the family still suffers from stress and anxiety as a result.
Buttles apologized for his actions, saying “I feel really bad about it all.”
The hearing was held through video conference due to court rules limiting in-person court hearings.
According to the criminal complaint, Buttles initially told police he shot a coyote and disposed of the body.
Later, he told police he saw a black Great Dane in his garage, barking at him. He grabbed a .22 pistol and shot at, but missed. He went outside, and saw a white Great Dane.
According to investigators:
Jeffrey advised he grabbed a .17 HMR rifle, stepped out onto his porch and shot at the white dog, striking it. Jeffrey advised he went and obtained his ATV and went down into the field into the woods and then picked up the dead dog. Jeffrey advised he placed the dog into this truck and disposed of the dog in the south branch of the Little Wolf River near the intersection of Waupaca Road and Granite Quarry Road. He indicated he was getting sick of having the dogs on his property and they were a general nuisance. Jeffrey advised this has been going on for approximately 8 months.
Police were unable to recover the dog’s carcass, according to the complaint.
According to the sheriff, the only time it is legal in Wisconsin to shoot a dog that comes onto your property is if it has attacked or threatened to attack a person or livestock.
