Neighbor charged after dog shot and killed in Idaho Falls neighborhood
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IDAHO FALLS — A man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly shot and killed a dog a short distance from its owner’s home.
The pit bull, named Jack, was out wandering his neighborhood Friday, April 1 on Mars Street, when neighbors said they saw 32-year-old Patrick Byrnes shoot Jack with a .44 Magnum pistol for no apparent reason.
“I (saw) Jack walking down the road, and my neighbor’s over there holding a pistol walking behind the dog,” neighbor Kenneth Jensen told EastIdahoNews.com. “I didn’t know if he was going to shoot him.”
Chandalee Beck, said Jack was shot in the road before slowly moving toward the sidewalk seeking help.
“Jack was shot in the street, and he turned around and went to go get help from the same man that just shot him,” Beck said.
She said Byrnes claimed he was attacked by the dog but, when she saw Byrnes outside after the shooting, she saw no sign of broken skin or bruising where he claimed he was injured.
EastIdahoNews.com requested the police report of the incident, but the city of Idaho Falls denied the request.
“One of the reasons why I’m so angry and upset is because this gentleman has no remorse,” Beck said.
Beck said she saw Byrnes walk by and laugh as family members and neighbors cleaned Jack’s blood from the sidewalk.
“It’s caused mass hysteria around our neighborhood,” Jensen said. “People are afraid and nobody wants to let their kids go out and play anymore.”
Byrnes has pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of discharging a firearm within city limits.
Bonneville County Prosecutor Daniel Clark said shooting and killing an animal is a misdemeanor animal cruelty offense. The crime is considered a felony if the suspect has at least three animal cruelty convictions, according to Idaho Statute 25-3520.
EastIdahoNews.com went to Byrnes’ home to hear his side of the story. He denied being Patrick Byrnes or knowing who Byrnes was.
Moments later, his father confirmed that the man was in fact Patrick Byrnes and brought his son back to the door.
“I don’t care who you are, and I don’t have anything to say now, so leave me alone,” Byrnes told EastIdahoNews.com.
Friends and neighbors have made a shrine for Jack on the Becks’ front porch. They said he was a friendly dog who will be missed.
Byrnes is scheduled to appear in court May 12.
