Man Suspected Of Shooting Two Dogs Charged With Felony Animal Cruelty

Authorities charged Billy Dunlap, of Moore County, with one count of animal larceny and one count of animal cruelty after they said he killed two dogs that killed six of his hens.

Investigators said a neighbor told Dunlap that the dogs had killed some of Dunlap's livestock.

Kimberly Minor's chocolate Labrador retriever, Hero, was one of the dogs.

"(Dunlap) got in his vehicle, went up the road and picked (Hero) up, brought him back to his neighbors and said, 'Are these the two dogs that killed my chickens?' They said yes and that's when they brought them out here," Minor said.

Minor said she had to go to Dunlap three times before he finally admitted what he had done.

"He just kind of chuckled and said he took them down Causey Road and shot and killed them," Minor said.

Minor found one dog, a boxer, lying in the road, and found her dog lying on pine straw.

Hero had only been with Minor's family for only eight months.

"I'm very sad," said Minor's son, Chase.

Now the family wants the man who admitted killing its dog to be punished.

"He shouldn't just get away with going out and killing dogs," Chase said.

Chase decided to turn his playground foxhole into Hero's grave. He buried his pet by himself.

Dunlap, who is free on $10,000 bond, said he thought he had the right to kill the dogs because of livestock protection rules.