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| LAWTON - Erin Green and husband Emery waited impatiently for son Levi to utter his first word. Would the honor go to Mommy or Daddy, they wondered. They were surprised to hear the boy instead mumble "Gypsy," the name of the Antwerp Township family's Chesapeake Bay retriever. "I've never seen an animal and boy be so close," Erin Green said. The child and dog were often photographed together to chronicle their growth. But the Greens now must figure out how to tell 2-year-old Levi why there won't be any more photos and why Gypsy can't play with him anymore. They're trying to understand why a neighbor shot the family pet to death early this week. "Levi's calling for her all day long," Green said. Michigan State Police are seeking felony charges against a 66th Street man who allegedly shot the dog, said Trooper Matt Bolger of the Paw Paw post. Bolger submitted a warrant request for unlawful killing of an animal this week and confiscated a .12-gauge shotgun allegedly used to slay the dog. Van Buren County prosecutors have yet to decide whether they'll charge the suspect. The Kalamazoo Gazette was unable to reach the suspect for comment. The incident unfolded Monday evening when Gypsy, 18 months old, took advantage of an open sliding door as Erin Green and Levi played in the yard of their home on County Road 657. The dog raced across the street and wound up in the suspect's yard, less than a quarter-mile away. Green's husband went after Gypsy with a leash, but heard a gunshot before he reached the suspect's yard. He then saw the suspect dragging Gypsy's body into a field. "I can't stress how quickly this happened," Erin Green said. "It's scary that he'd have a gun ready." Bolger estimated the entire incident unfolded in about two minutes. The Greens said the suspect lied about shooting the dog until they told him they were calling the state police. Bolger said the man admitted shooting Gypsy but said he claimed he fired on the animal because it attacked his dog. "According to the suspect's statement, he heard the dogs growling," Bolger said. He said it appeared Gypsy was shot at close range. Bolger said he could not determine whether Gypsy and the suspect's dog had been fighting. It is not against the law to shoot a dog if it displays aggression or attacks humans or livestock, Bolger said. Another neighbor told Bolger that Gypsy sometimes played with his dogs and was not an aggressive animal. Prosecutors occasionally issue charges in dog-shooting cases. This week, a Kalamazoo County man was arrested and arraigned on a felony charge for first shooting, then bludgeoning a neighbor's dog with a claw hammer. Sheriff's deputies said Reed Ellis, 42, of South 26th Street, caused the animal's death by fracturing its skull. He is scheduled to appear in district court for a preliminary examination next week. The Greens still have another dog, a 9-month-old yellow Lab, but say it can't replace the closeness Gypsy and Levi shared. "They were so close," Erin Green said. "(Gypsy) was the first word he ever spoke." |
| Courtesy of the Kalamazoo Gazette By Mike Tyree |
| Dear Juris Kaps; After reading a news article in the Kalamazoo Gazette, I understand that a family's dog named Gypsy was shot and killed. According to the killer, Gypsy was attacking his dog. The article reports that the police could not even determine if Gypsy and the killer's dog were fighting. I understand that your office decided not to prosecute. One must wonder why the killer's claim, that Gypsy was aggressive, is believed instead of others who said the she was neither vicious nor aggressive. Without evidence to support either contention, it is impossible to make a just assessment. This is a matter that should have been left to the courts. Michigan allows people to shoot dogs who are aggressive to other animals. There is an error in this law because it gives anyone legal authority to kill a dog any time. It comes from the old west cattle protection laws and was meant to protect cattle, not to give some person the same right just because he or she has a problem. There are leash laws, however those are not 100% full proof even for responsible pet guardians. In this case, that weapon must have been awfully convenient for the killer since this entire incident unfolded within just two minutes time. Sincerely, -Your Name- |
| Juris Kaps Prosecuting Attorney Van Buren County County Courthouse 212 Paw Paw St. Paw Paw, MI 49079-1498 Phone: 616-657-8236 Fax: 616-657-1944 |
| The Kalamazoo Gazette |
| Case and Sample Letter Written By Lynn Walker PTI Writer |
| Please write the Van Buren County Prosecuting Attorney and urge him to pursue this case. |
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