Aviston man charged with cruelty to animals for shooting pet

Timmons’ hobby, from rural Germantown, appealed to friends on social media, held a protest rally at his home, and threatened a civil suit against the owner of the next-door property who he says shot and killed his beloved family pet.

Friday, the Clinton County State’s Attorney’s office filed charges against that neighbor.

Dale E. Litteken was charged with a single count of aggravated cruelty to an animal in the death of Trigger, Timmons’ 11-year-old Siberian husky, on Dec. 9.

A warrant was issued for Litteken’s arrest Friday and bond was set at $50,000.

According to charging documents, Litteken “committed an act that intentionally caused the death of a companion animal” at his property near the 4400 block of Wesclin Road in Germantown.

Litteken called the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department himself to report that he shot the dog because he was on his property and threatening his granddaughter, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department confirmed at the time.

During an interview with the BND following the incident, Timmons called Litteken’s allegation a “total lie.” He described Trigger as gentle and friendly, as witnessed by hundreds of people who had been to his house or met Trigger on adjoining property at Hidden Lake Winery in rural Aviston.

“No one has ever questioned the demeanor of my dog, not one,” he said.

Attempts to reach Litteken by phone Friday were unsuccessful.

Timmons said he once had a civil relationship with Litteken, who actually lives in the village of Aviston but drives out daily to check on his rural property and building. That changed in August, when Timmons was outside working on a trailer that his baseball team had ridden in the TrentonFest Parade.

He said Litteken warned him to keep Trigger on a leash because he’d grown up at his granddaughter.

“’If you don’t do something about it, I’m going to shoot him,’” Litteken warned, according to Timmons.

Litteken declined to comment for the original article. The BND did not publish his name since, at that time, he had not been charged with a crime.

Timmons said a mail carrier called his family to let them know that Trigger was hurt and lying in the yard. His son, Brent Timmons, drove to the house, put the dog on board and rushed him to a Breese veterinary clinic, where he died from injuries caused by shotgun pellets.

Timmons said Trigger had more than 100 pellets in his body.

He posted about the shooting on Facebook, including pictures of his pet lying dead in the back of a pickup truck, asking “justice for Trigger.”

Hundreds from across the country reacted, commented or shared the posts, many of them offered to donate money for the family to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit.

BND reporter Teri Maddox provided background information for this story.

this story was originally published January 13, 2023 4:49 PM.