ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky State Police arrested a man Monday night who they say fatally shot a service dog in Estill County, officials said.
The Estill County Sheriff’s Office said KSP arrested the man for shooting Hunter, the Rescue Squad’s service dog.
Police charged 59-year-old Charles Collins with first-degree assault of a service animal and second-degree cruelty to animals.
Collins was being held in the Three Forks Regional Jail.
The Estill County Rescue Squad said Hunter was last seen in the area of Redlick Road and Kissey Branch Road. A person who lives in the area told LEX 18 that they heard gunshots around the time the dog went missing.
Earlier on Monday, an LEX 18 News photographer working on this story in the area found the dog dead with apparent gunshot wounds.
Hunter was used by the Estill County Rescue Squad to locate missing people and was also a service dog.
