An Anne Arundel County man is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly mistaking a neighbor’s dog for a coyote and fatally shooting it. Robert Anthony Harley, a 70-year-old resident of Harwood, was charged with the death of an 11-month-old Belgian Malinois named Maisie, as confirmed by multiple local news sources.
The WUSA9 reported that the Anne Arundel County Police Department received a complaint of animal cruelty on April 23, after the dog's owner, Shannon Smith Wood, alleged her dog had been shot three days prior. The dog’s remains have yet to be recovered, and detectives are urging anyone with information to come forward.
When Maisie went missing, Smith Wood was sent a cellphone video by a mutual friend that showed her dog a mile from her house. The footage included voices misidentifying the dog as a coyote and making light of using a shotgun. "Hey, there's a coyote out here," a voice in the video says, as recounted by WMAR-2 News. In a tragic twist, Smith Wood learned from the creator of the video that Harley, the man's father, had shot the dog.
According to The Baltimore Banner, Harley believed he was dealing with a coyote when he decided to shoot the dog. Harley told detectives he only saw the animal's shadow and ears and felt the need to "protect himself/family members." It was noted in the charging documents that Harley does not hold any Maryland hunting licenses or permits.
Despite the tension surrounding the incident, Smith Wood has conveyed her desire to avoid hostility toward Harley. In an interview with The Baltimore Banner, she expressed her disapproval of the death threats made against Harley, stressing that her focus was on ensuring such an incident doesn’t recur. Harley's specific penalties include a possible 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.
