Deputy Dalton Tyner responded to #47 Hartman Lane, Houston.  Upon arrival he met with Mrs. Lynette Maxwell and she advised him that she was in her house when she heard a gunshot.  She came outside to see what was going on and saw her dog running from her neighbors house.  The dog was suffering from a gunshot wound to its stomach and was in obvious pain when Deputy Tyner arrived.  Mrs. Maxwell asked Deputy Tyner if he would put the dog down so it would quit suffering.

Deputy Tyner then made contact with Mr. Mike Sanders and Sanders told him that he shot the dog because it was in his trash pile.  Deputy Tyner asked Mr. Sanders if he knew who the dog belonged to and Sanders replied "yes".  Deputy Tyner then asked him if he tried to make contact with the owner to see if they would pick up the trash and Sanders replied, "no".  Deputy Tyner explained to Mr. Sanders that a person has the right to protect himself, his family, his animals from harm, but not the right to shoot a dog because its simply going thru his trash pile.  Mr. Sanders was issued a citation for misdemeanor cruelty to animals.