Roscoe, left, a retired sled dog, was fatally shot in 2012.
A 42 yr. old Pennsylvania man has been fined $300 and perform 100 hours of community service over the next six months after pleading guilty of cruelty to animals.
Arthur Melo of Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County was charged with three summary counts animal cruelty for the fatal shooting of Roscoe, a retired Alaskan (Husky) sled dog, with a BB gun when he saw the dog around his chicken and rabbit coops in 2012. He wasn’t sentenced to any jail time.
The death of Roscoe happened on June 27th, 2012- almost three years to the day of Melo’s sentencing.
The Pennsylvania SPCA‘s forensics and necropsy showed that the BB gun fired at Roscoe had traveled through his thoracic cavity and punctured his lungs.
Alex Szlachtianshyn and his family adopted Roscoe, who was about 10 years old, only a few months prior to the shooting death. Roscoe had retired from training other canines in dog sledding.
Milo was also charged with discharging a firearm in a restricted area after the incident. He pleaded guilty and was fined $1000.
Director of Humane Litigation Rebecca Glenn-Dinwoodie, Esq. added, “At the PSPCA we often deal with tough situations and this crime was particularly brutal. We are thankful for the support of the District Attorney’s office and to Assistant District Attorney Michael Thompson.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Szlachtianshyn had to deal with the loss of a dog to a neighbor. When he was living in Liberty Township as a boy, a neighbor shot his dog. “To have it again in the same lifetime, it’s just too much,” Szlachtianshyn said in an 2012 interview.
Melo will perform his community service at the PSPCA and pay the fine to the shelter as well.
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That sentence is inhumane!
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that’s so sad that he had to endure this twice in a lifetime. Losing a dog is painful enough. To have your dogs killed by a gun two times in your life….I don’t think I could handle it. Jail time should’ve been the sentence.
Send him to jail! What does it take to get prison time for cruelty to animals? He shot the dog to death! Come on!
Are you kidding me?? He shot a dog and only has to pay $900. What’s wrong with our judicial system? I’m outraged over this!
This is not just nor right. This sends no message to abusers of animals. A mere $900 and community service is a joke. Give them real jail time and fine them thousands of dollars!