Man charged with animal cruelty after shooting neighbor's dog | Crime

A man told Jonesboro police he meant to shoot his neighbor’s dog “in the butt.”  Instead, he shot it in the eye.

Freddie L. Bridges, 66, was cited with cruelty to animals after police say he “admitted to shooting the dog with a pellet gun.”

According to the incident report, Bridges said the Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mix was running loose Friday night when it “came onto his property and began barking at him and his wife.” 

That’s when he reportedly shot the dog.

When asked where the dog was when he shot at it, Bridges "pointed to the next driveway, approximately 40 feet from his property line," according to the officer's report.

Bridges said “his intention was to only ‘shoot it in the butt’ and he did not mean for it to get shot in the eye,” according to the officer's initial report.

The officer reported the dog’s eye was glassy with a reddish hue.  He did not see any bleeding.

The dog’s owner said she would take the animal to the vet on Monday.  The officer advised her to save all of the bills related to the dog’s treatment.  Bridges told the officer he would pay for the dog’s medical bills.

The officer cited Bridges with Cruelty to Animals and Discharging a Firearm in Public, both misdemeanors.