Caledonia man appears in court after being charged with shooting, killing neighbor's dog
CBS 58 CALEDONIA, Wis. (CBS 58) — A Caledonia man accused of shooting and killing his neighbor's dog appeared in court Thursday.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators say 54-year-old Nicholas Schmidt initially denied knowing anything about Aaron "AJ" Larson's dog, Chili, before later telling officers he thought it was a "good thing" that Chili had died.
When Larson remembers Chili, he remembers the kind of dog she was.
"She was the goofiest, sweetest puppy," Larson said.
Chili was just 2 years old when she got out of the Larson family's backyard July 15.
Larson said the family immediately went looking for her after hearing her scream.
"Here's the part we'll never understand. There's three adults in the road just on the other side of the trees calling for her, and he could hear us, and he still took that shot," Larson said.
The family rushed Chili to an animal hospital, where veterinarians determined she had been shot with a pellet gun.
"My daughter had to witness her dog collapse on the kitchen floor," Larson said.
Chili underwent surgery but did not survive.
"Seven hours later, when they got her in for surgery, when they opened her up, that blood clot opened up and she passed right away," Larson said.
Investigators say Schmidt shot Chili with a pellet gun.
"The defendant is charged with one count of felony mistreatment of animals, use of a dangerous weapon — a Class I felony," prosecutors said in court Thursday.
Schmidt is also charged with resisting or obstructing an officer.
According to the criminal complaint, Schmidt initially denied shooting Chili before later admitting to firing the pellet gun.
Investigators say Schmidt told police he wanted to injure Chili to get her away but did not intend to kill her.
"He lied to us, he lied to all the neighbors, he lied to the police multiple times," Larson said.
In court, Schmidt was ordered not to possess firearms or other guns.
Larson said his family is still trying to process the loss.
"Never understand why. He shot and killed my daughter's puppy," Larson said.
Schmidt is scheduled to return to court later this month for a preliminary hearing.
