Hunter kills service dog in its own driveway after mistaking it for coyote, cops say

A Michigan man has turned himself in after state police said he fatally shot a service dog that was out for a walk with his owner.

Smokey the German shepherd, a registered service dog, and his owner were in their driveway, which cuts through federal and state forest in Colfax Township, around dusk on Nov. 27, according to a Jan. 9 news release from Michigan State Police.

The owner told police he heard an “extremely loud gunshot” and then a yelp before Smokey went down off the edge of the driveway and died, according to police.

Down his driveway, the owner confronted a hunter, later identified as a 65-year-old Harrietta man, who was attempting to leave in a truck, police said.

The hunter, who was 104 yards away from where Smokey and his owner were walking on their improved surface driveway, told the owner he thought he shot a coyote, according to the release.

He also told authorities he did not see anyone near the animal, according to the release.

Police reported that troopers at the scene seized the hunter’s gun and discovered his scope was set to 3X zoom, making his field of view roughly 40 feet.

Smokey was off leash while his owner, wearing an illuminated headlamp, walked about 12 feet behind him, authorities said.

According to the release, an arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 29, and the hunter turned himself in at the Wexford County Jail on Jan. 5

The hunter was charged with one count of killing/torturing animals and one count of reckless/negligent use of a firearm.

Colfax Township is in northwestern Michigan about 130 miles north of Grand Rapids.

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