WISCASSET, Maine — Under terms of a plea agreement, a Nobleboro man has pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his 6-month-old fox terrier with a pellet gun and was sentenced to three days in jail and 40 hours of community service at an animal shelter.
Shawn D. Wilkie, 41, formerly of Bristol, was arrested in July and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after fatally shooting a dog.
On Oct. 24, Wilkie pleaded guilty to criminal cruelty to animals and filing a false public report, both misdemeanors, according to court documents. In exchange, the Lincoln County district attorney’s office dismissed the felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals.
Wilkie received a deferred disposition, which delays sentencing for one year while Wilkie meets conditions including 40 hours of community service at an animal shelter. He cannot own a dog or have contact with a dog for more than 30 minutes, except while performing his community service.
He must not possess or use firearms, BB guns, pellet guns, crossbows, slingshots, or any dangerous weapons, and he must submit to random searches to ensure compliance, according to the agreement. He also must undergo a psychological evaluation and counseling.
If Wilkie fulfills the terms of the agreement, he will receive a sentence of three days in jail and a $500 fine, according to documents. If he violates the terms of the agreement, he could receive up to three weeks in jail.
Lincoln County sheriff’s deputies and a county animal control officer went to Old County Road in Bristol on July 8 for a report that a dog had been shot, according to a release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The dog’s owner, Wilkie, said he had been inside his home alone and the dog had been tethered outside, according to the release. Wilkie said he heard two gunshots and heard the dog yelp, then went outside and found that his dog had been shot.
The dog’s body was taken to the Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic in Warren for an autopsy, according to the release. A Maine State Police dog searched unsuccessfully for spent shell casings.
The examination of the dog’s body revealed that the dog had been shot with a .177-caliber pellet and eventually died of internal bleeding, according to the release.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office’s Lt. Michael Murphy, the dog was alive and in pain for 45 minutes to an hour after the shooting and Wilkie did not attempt to help the dog.
Further questioning revealed that Wilkie owned a “high-powered” .177-caliber pellet rifle, the type used for competition, as well as for pest control and hunting small game, according to websites that sell similar pellet rifles.
“Wilkie claimed to have shot the dog by accident while attempting to shoot a chipmunk,” the release said.
Wilkie will return to court for a hearing to determine the final outcome of the case at 1 p.m. Oct. 23, 2017.
He is free on personal-recognizance bail with conditions that prohibit the possession of dangerous weapons, including firearms, and require him to submit to random searches to ensure compliance.
Lincoln County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Kanwit prosecuted the case. Brunswick attorney James Michael Mason is representing Wilkie.