DANBURY, CT (WFSB) -
A man was arrested after he allegedly shot and killed his neighbor's dog using a BB gun and .22-caliber rifle.
Christopher Masi, 43, was at his home on Oak Ridge Avenue early Monday morning when a 10-year-old chow mix named Loxin scaled the 6-foot-high fence around his yard. He told Eyewitness News that Loxin was trying to mate with his Labrador retriever Coco, who is in heat.
"We kept chasing him away for the last seven or eight days," Masi said.
After gaining entry to the house through a doggie door, Masi shot Loxin with his BB gun.
"I was tired of poking it with sticks and throwing rocks at it," he said.
The dog returned hours later and this time, Masi shot the chow mix in the shoulder with a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, which is known for hunting small game.
"He started growling at me, he went after my other dogs, biting at them," he said. "At that point, I'm not taking any chances with my 4-year-old daughter just a few feet away, so that's when I decided to shoot him."
The injury required the dog to be euthanized after the warden found him hours later.
Masi said he is upset about shooting the animal, but is "relieved" that he will not have to deal with the dog any more.
He was charged with cruelty to animals and unlawful discharge of a firearm and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Danbury on Aug. 30.
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