Police: Man arrested for shooting, killing his dog

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - An Alabama man is accused of shooting and killing his dog and fighting officers when they arrived at the scene, according to authorities.

Police in Mobile said 31-year-old William Sanders is facing a number of charges, including dog cruelty and resisting arrest.

Neighbors told WALA they heard at least eight shots before finding the dog not too far away from the home.

“I went back to bed and that’s when I heard a couple of shots. I bounded out of bed, and I said, ‘Don’t shoot that dog,’” Reba Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer said she called 911, and the dispatcher sent officers when she heard the shots over the phone.

Pfeiffer said when she yelled at Sanders, he still had the gun in his hand.

“He just really looked menacing. That’s when he used the ‘F’ word and called me an old lady. He was just mumbling and I kind of got scared then because he still had the gun,” Pfeiffer said, explaining that’s when she went back inside.

Meanwhile, another neighbor who witnessed the shooting said Sanders chased the dog, still firing his gun in his backyard.

“He loaded the gun, and the dog ran into the side of the house, and he just shot the dog twice. The dog ran again behind the house. He shot the dog again twice. Then the dog ran in my backyard, he ran back there and shot the dog again,” Tyree Davison said.

When Mobile police officers arrived, Sanders allegedly attacked them, but after a brief struggle, he was finally arrested.

Neighbors attempted to save the dog, but the injuries were too severe and the dog was put down.

“We loaded the dog in the truck, but when they told us how extensive the injuries were, I knew the dog was going to be euthanized. It was just heartbreaking,” Pfeiffer said.

Copyright 2022 WALA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.