A Washington man has been arrested for killing a neighbor’s pit bull, said Major Kenneth Watson of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Michael Ray Duncan, 44, of Keysville Road, turned himself in to authorities on March 29, charged with felony cruelty to animals.

Feb. 14, Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the scene on Keysville Road, where they located the injured dog and called in Animal Control Officers.

The dog had been shot multiple times with a .22 rifle and later died from its wounds.

When asked why Duncan shot the neighbor’s dog, Watson answered, “I believe his position was that it had threatened a member of his family. The problem was that he shot it on the neighbor’s property.”

Duncan was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.