Man Choked, Fatally Shot Roommate's Dog For Biting Him While Petting

A man from Rochester, Wisconsin, was charged Tuesday after he shot and killed his roommate’s dog for biting him.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident took place Saturday night when the dog, an English Mastiff named Mack, came up to 51-year-old Jay Hoppe while he was eating dinner. Hoppe reportedly handled the dog aggressively and tried to provoke the canine when his roommate asked him to leave it alone. When the dog tried to escape, Hoppe pulled it back toward him and continued to handle it aggressively. When Mack managed to escape, the accused ran behind the dog, caught it and started choking it.

The unidentified roommate then started recording the incident. When Hoppe started yelling that he wanted to put the dog down, the roommate pleaded him to not shoot Mack. The roommate then gathered all her three dogs and tried to flee. However, when Mack got into the truck, Hoppe pulled it out and asked someone present there to get his gun. The roommate tried to get the dog back into the vehicle but the accused told her he would shoot Mack even if she was beside him. She fled with the other two pets.

Hoppe later sent a text message to his roommate saying her dog was “gone.” Officers arrived at the scene and found Mack dead in the driveway. During interrogation, Hoppe admitted to shooting and killing Mack and told the officers that he took the step because the dog bit him while he was petting it.

Hoppe was charged with mistreatment of animals, use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessments. He appeared in court Tuesday and his bond was set at $5,000. He was scheduled to re-appear in court June 5.