Case is warning for dog shooters

To the editor:

Missouri has been plagued by numerous hunting-dog shootings in the last two years, and little has been done to prevent further shootings until Circuit Judge David Gregory Warren of Maries County ruled in favor of dog owners recently.

More than 50 hunting dogs have been shot while pursuing legal game in Missouri in the past two years, leaving hunters weary of casting their hounds to perform the legal act of hunting. As more rural land becomes populated with small tracts of development, landowners are taking it upon themselves to shoot any dog that crosses property lines, leaving many innocent dogs dead or seriously injured.

It is important for the public to know that it is not legal to shoot dogs for no valid reason, and the recent court decision in Maries County should set a precedent that killers of hunting dogs will be prosecuted.

The Sporting Dog Association of Missouri has been vigorously working to educate landowners of the illegal act of shooting hunting dogs and has been instrumental in bringing charges against those who shoot dogs.

SHERMAN WILSON, Secretary

Sporting Dog Association of Missouri, Clarence, Mo.