Julie_Hayden's Blog

This is one of those stories that's just sad.  And you have to ask yourself... what is up with people???

A Lakewood woman was visiting her neighbors last night, when one of them allegedly just up and shot her two year old terrier, Patches, in the head.

Police have arrested 50 year old Ryan Hayes and accuse him of cruelty to animals, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Marlys Duggan says she and Patches visited Hayes and his mother all the time.

Last night, Patches was following Hayes around the house, hoping for a treat, when they heard a loud explosion coming from Hayes' bedroom.  She says she ran in, to find her little dog laying in a pool of blood, shot in the head.

Now Hayes tried to tell her the dog had been chewing on the gun and must have accidentally set it off.  But the Vet told her, no way.  The Vet says x rays show the bullet trajectory and the fatal shot was fired by someone standing over the dog.

Poor Duggan is pretty much in shock today, griveing for her pet.  And trying to understand how something so senseless could happen.

We knocked on Hayes' door and he told us it was an accident and that he would never harm "a fuzzy little creature."  He said he felt awful, and he did seem very upset.

Duggan says she thinks he was drunk last night.  A check of Hayes' criminal history shows some arrests back in the 80s and 90s... some involving guns and alcohol.