Boggs Township man gets jail time for shooting neighbor’s dog

Michael A. Miller, 63, of Boggs Township, was sentenced Friday to serve 11 1/2 to 23 1/2 months in the Centre County Correctional Facility for shooting his neighbor’s dog.

Miller received six to 12 months for animal cruelty, followed by 5 1/2 to 11 1/2 months for recklessly endangering another person, according to a press release. The defendant was convicted of endangering eight victims — one adult and seven children — who were in a day care when he fired toward it. Judge Thomas K. Kistler issued the sentence.

In August 2014, the adult victim and seven children she was watching as part of her day care service, were playing in her front yard. Within two minutes of going inside, she heard a gunshot followed by the yelp of her 8-year-old Labrador mix, Copper, the release said.

The victim then ran to the dog where she said, “blood shot out like a volcano each time his heart beat” from a wound just below the dog’s eye. A local veterinarian determined the dog had been struck by a .22 caliber round, the report said.

Troopers testified at a jury trial that blood was spotted about 50 yards away from Miller’s residence and directly in line with the day care, noting that the dog didn’t pose a direct threat to Miller.

“Copper has since passed away, but we are pleased there was a sentence of incarceration for the cruel act of shooting a pet in the face and also the extreme danger these children were placed in when a gun was shot directly in their direction at such a close range,” said Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Boggs Township man gets jail time for shooting neighbor’s dog."