Man facing animal cruelty charge after dog shot in Sumner County
SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man was arrested Sunday after a neighbor reportedly found her dog — who later died — with a gunshot wound outside of his Sumner County home.
According to a Sumner County affidavit, a deputy was dispatched to the 100 block of Spencer Springs Drive in Gallatin shortly before 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 because a woman said her Pomeranian was shot earlier in the day and she wanted to file a report.
The woman told the deputy she was inside her home around 11:30 a.m. when her daughter yelled that their dog had gotten out of the fence. The woman said she went outside and heard the dog crying.
Per the court documents, the woman said she saw the dog two doors down fall in front of that home. She told the deputy she ran over, grabbed the dog, and brought it back inside.
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Based on the affidavit, when the woman's husband got back from work, she asked him to check the dog for any injuries, which led to the discovery of an entrance wound from a gunshot on the dog's right side, near its back leg. The couple reportedly took the dog to the emergency veterinarian, who said the animal had internal bleeding and broken ribs but no exit wound.
The dog was scheduled for removal surgery on Monday, Nov. 4, but according to the court documents, the vet said there was a possibility the pet would not survive the night and gave the owners strong medication.
Per the affidavit, the woman believed her dog was shot by the someone who lives in the house where the dog was found wounded. The woman said the dog had gotten out of the fence a while back and went to neighbor William Pate's home. Pate allegedly sent the woman hostile messages over social media following that incident.
Since then, the woman said there had not been any other incidents involving the dog leaving the house, adding that the dog had never been violent with anyone. The woman reportedly messaged Pate on Sunday asking if he knew what happened to the dog, but he told her he wasn't home and had no idea what happened to the animal.
However, another neighbor reached out to the woman via Facebook, saying she noticed the dog running from the side of Pate's house and whimpering, based on the court documents.
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According to the affidavit, the neighbor said she not only saw Pate outside of his home, but the garage had been open, indicating the 35-year-old had been there all day.
When the deputy asked the neighbor if she heard a gunshot, she said they were doing a neighborhood trash burn earlier in the day, so it was loud outside the house. Despite the ongoing fire trucks and large number of the people in the backyard, the neighbor reported Pate was in his driveway.
"Upon speaking with Mr. Pate, I asked him for his side of the story," the deputy explained in the court documents. "Mr. Pate advised to me in the beginning that he was unsure on what had happened to the dog. Mr. Pate stated he believed it happened a neighborhood over. I explained to Mr. Pate with the size of the dog, and the round that the animal was hit with, it was impossible for the dog to make it that far with a severe injury."
Per the affidavit, the deputy pointed out to Pate that the stories he told the dog's owner and the deputy were not lining up. For example, the deputy reminded Pate he told the woman he wasn't at home, but Pate told the deputy he was in and out of the house.
"Mr. Pate then changed the subject to discuss a Facebook post that was made about the dog being shot, and how he was being accused on social media. I advised Mr. Pate that I had no concern over a Facebook post, and advised Mr. Pate he had to have seen something," the deputy reported. "Mr. Pate then stated 'Do I want the dog shot? Yes'."
The deputy mentioned again that Pate's story wasn't adding up. At that point, Pate admitted he shot the dog — which he said was constantly on his property — in order to protect his 3-year-old daughter who was in the yard at the time, based on the court documents. However, when asked whether the dog had ever been aggressive or barked at him or his daughter, Pate said it hadn't.
The deputy couldn't retrieve any camera footage of the incident, but he asked the neighbor who noticed the dog running from Pate's house if his daughter was in the yard at the time. The neighbor reported she never saw the girl in the yard.
According to the affidavit, there have never been any "animal at large" calls concerning the dog.
The deputy said he arrested Pate for aggravated animal cruelty. Per the court documents, Pate's pre-trial bond was set at $2,000, and his court date is set for Nov. 19.
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News 2 spoke with the owner of Moose, who confirmed the Pomeranian died following the shooting.
According to Facebook, a " Justice For Moose Vigil " is being held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7 in the 100 block of Spencer Springs Drive in Gallatin. Community members are encouraged to attend with their leashed pets to support Moose's family. Donations will also be taken to help cover the costs of the three different vets who reportedly tried to save the dog.
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This is a developing storyWKRN News 2 will continue to update this as new information becomes available.
