WILLS POINT, Texas — An animal control officer for the city of Wills Point was arrested Wednesday after he shot and killed his own dog with a shotgun, according to the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit.
Michael Bradford Goggans was arrested and booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on a charge of Cruelty to Non-livestock Animals – Torture, which is a third-degree felony, according to a news release.
According to the SPCA, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded to separate reports on June 12 and 13 that a mixed breed dog named Rip, who belonged to Goggans, was "running at large and playfully jumping on the neighbors." On June 13, a sheriff’s deputy told Goggans he needed to keep Rip confined to his property and warned Goggans he would be issued a citation if Rip continued to run at large.
Goggans then told the deputy he intended to kill Rip and later contacted the deputy again to say he had killed the dog and Rip's body was in his front yard, according to an SPCA release.
The SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit was contacted by the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and went to Goggans' home. The SPCA Investigator met with Goggans, who identified himself as the Animal Control Officer for the City of Wills Point, and Goggans admitted to shooting and killing his dog with a shotgun, the SPCA release said.
SPCA of Texas took Rip's body and performed a necropsy revealed that the dog was shot in its side from a distance with birdshot ammunition. The results of the test showed multiple tiny pellets entered the dog’s torso and caused Rip to slowly bleed out internally, SPCA said in its release.
“Texas law does not prohibit an individual from euthanizing their own animal; however, it must be done in a humane manner that prevents pain and suffering,” said SPCA of Texas Chief Investigator, Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit, Courtney Burns, CAWA. “Unfortunately, in this case, the evidence shows that the dog suffered greatly at the hands of his owner and without any justifiable reason.”
In this instance, SPCA said Goggans caused "unjustifiable pain and suffering to the dog before it succumbed to its injuries."
Goggans' bond was set at $50,000.
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