Hunters and property owners may debate the issues, but the state law says killing a dog just for being on your property is illegal.

“It is against the law to kill a hunting dog, unless you are protecting yourself, livestock or another animal, even if it is on private property,” said Sgt. Mark Dutton of the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. “Usually the sheriff’s department deals with these cases. We know it happens but there’s little that we can do about it.”

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

“Several years back, three different dogs of mine were killed,” said Jim Poindexter, a Richmond County hunter. “Two were shot and the other was beaten to death.”

The law also says no person shall allow his dog, that is older than six months, to run at large at night unaccompanied by the owner or by some member of the owner’s family, or some other person by the owner’s permission. Any person intentionally, knowingly and willfully violating this section shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor, and shall also be liable in damages to any person injured or suffering loss to his property.

Another provision of the state law says dogs that injure deer or bears on wildlife management areas may be killed, but only by a wildlife protector or other duly authorized agent or employee of the Wildlife Resources Commission.

From 2000 to 2008 there were nine cases of animal cruelty towards dogs that reported to the Sheriff’s Office that haven’t been solved. Four of those cases are related to the injuring of a hunting dog, or animal injured by a hunter.

In 2007 a resident had two of his hunting dogs killed. He said that they just dropped dead. Another victim said that his dog had a tracking collar own and when he tracked it down the dog was shot by a rifle.

There have been six cases reported to the Richmond County Animal Control Department in the past six months. Mike Norton of Richmond County Animal Control says, cases are usually handled by the animal cruelty officer.

“We assist in cases when needed, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) may even call us for a case,” Norton said.

“Normally, we try to work with them and do warnings so that the offense won’t happen again,” Norton said. “Some of these cases have even gone to court. This way the judge can assist and decide on how to handle the offender.”

Article 47 b. states that if any person shall maliciously torture, mutilate, maim, cruelly beat, disfigure, poison or kill ... any animal, he, or she, would be guilty of a Class I felony for every such offense.

“I have had 24 cases regarding animal cruelty in the past six months, none of them were regarding hunting dogs,” said Richmond County Animal Cruelty Investigator Mark Pankey.

A proposal was floated before the Richmond County Board of Commissioners this month to expand the area in Richmond County where hunting with dogs would be banned. The idea was quickly put on the back burner by the local legislative delegation.

“I hope this doesn’t come down to them killing other people’s dogs,” Poindexter said.

Hollie Nivens can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or by e-mailing at hnivens@yourdailyjournal.com.