A 62-year-old Hamburg man has pleaded guilty to shooting his own dog in the face with a rifle, a case that began when police found the wounded German Shepherd in a backyard off West Canyon Drive back in June. Dennis J. Rutkowski admitted to one count of attempted aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
Town of Hamburg police were called to the West Canyon Drive residence on June 28 for what started as a welfare check, according to the SPCA Serving Erie County, which said officers arrived at approximately 9:35 a.m. and found the dog, a roughly seven-year-old male German Shepherd named Sky, injured in the backyard. Per the district attorney's office, Rutkowski had shot Sky in the head with a rifle, leaving the animal with a single gunshot wound to the face.
Officers seized the rifle and arrested Rutkowski at the scene, the SPCA's account states. Sky was rushed to Orchard Park Veterinary Hospital for emergency treatment and was placed into the SPCA's custody while he recovered.
A Disturbing Detail Emerges From Police Records
Court records cited by the Buffalo News indicate that police believe Rutkowski was convinced his dog was Satan, offering a glimpse into the circumstances police say surrounded the shooting. That belief, as described by police, has not been independently verified beyond what investigators told the newspaper.
Sky survived the gunshot wound and, per the same SPCA account, has since been adopted by a new owner and continues to recover from his injury. The dog's recovery marks one of the only clear bright spots in a case that otherwise centers on a violent act against an animal inside its own home.
Guilty Plea Covers Two Separate Charges
Rutkowski's guilty plea, as reported by WKBW, covered both the animal cruelty charge and the weapons charge tied to the rifle used in the shooting. The Erie County District Attorney's Office said Rutkowski pleaded guilty to the two counts, formalizing a case that had been pending since his arrest in late June.
Under New York law, aggravated cruelty to animals is classified as a felony, with convicted defendants sentenced under the Penal Law, according to the New York State Senate's legislative text. Rutkowski's plea was to an attempted version of that charge rather than the completed felony offense.
Sentencing Set for December, Animal Restrictions Already in Place
Rutkowski faces a maximum of 364 days in jail when he is sentenced on December 8, the SPCA's statement says. In the meantime, he remains released under the supervision of the Probation Department, and a temporary securing order bars him from owning, harboring, or having custody or control of any animals while the case remains pending.
The case echoes another New York animal-shooting prosecution from earlier this year: a 28-year-old upstate man was facing a felony animal cruelty charge after allegedly shooting and killing his dog with a shotgun, according to a July report from syracuse.com. That case, like Rutkowski's, involved allegations that the shooting served no justifiable purpose.
