Molly's killing rallies corgi owners across America
Facebook campaign calls for harshest penalty for man who shot neighbours' dog
Corgi owners around the US are calling for the harshest penalty for a man charged with killing Molly, a Pembroke Welsh corgi.
A Facebook page called "Justice for Molly the Corgi" has garnered nearly 5,000 followers. The corgi owners are spearheading a letter-writing campaign to prosecutors, imploring them to seek the harshest penalty against David William Latham, 55.
One family from New Hampshire, whose dog just had a litter of pups, offered to drive across the country to deliver a corgi puppy to the bereaved family of Cary Chunyk and Loyce Andrews in Bellingham, Washington state.
Latham was charged on Friday with first-degree animal cruelty and two misdemeanours, brandishing a weapon and second-degree criminal trespassing.
Authorities said Latham had been annoyed by a barking dog, so he armed himself with a rifle, walked across the street, aimed over a fence and shot Molly in front of her owners. Molly was not the dog barking.
When Molly was shot, Chunyk yelled at the shooter, but retreated when Latham raised both of his arms with one hand still holding a rifle. After the shooting, authorities told the couple that they should stay at home until the gunman was arrested. So they cradled Molly, and wrapped her in towels, as she bled for half an hour before dying.
On Friday, a judge ordered Latham to surrender his beagle to the Humane Society. He was allowed to keep his two cats. He remains out on bail. In a statement, Latham's attorney said his client "is extremely regretful and remorseful for his actions. He is a lifelong animal owner, and is very sorry for the pain he has caused. We simply ask that we be allowed to give his side of the story through the legal process before judgment is passed".
