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CEDAR CITY — A Cedar City man has been arrested and accused of shooting at two of his neighbor's dogs, killing one of them.
Joshua Douglas Bailey, 40, was arrested Tuesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal and illegally discharging a firearm within 600 feet of a dwelling.
Iron County sheriff's deputies received a report that about 8 p.m. Monday, Bailey had allegedly chased dogs off of his property in a rural area just north of Cedar City.
"It was reported he then got up, grabbed his firearm, and voiced his frustrations about the sheriff's office not doing anything about the dogs, and walked over to the property where the dogs reside. It was reported that the individual heard gunshots, dogs crying, and saw Joshua walk back to his trailer," according to a police booking affidavit.
The dog owners were not home at the time, and the sheriff's office was called on Tuesday.
"Deputies observed two dogs, one moving around an enclosed area, and the other dog not moving, appearing to be deceased within the same enclosed area," the affidavit states.
When deputies contacted Bailey to find out what happened, he said he had previously reported the dogs were on his property, according to the affidavit.
"Joshua stated since then the dogs have been 'at large,' he walked over to the residence ... to check on the dogs, and they attacked him. Joshua stated that since they attacked him, he shot his handgun at the dogs, firing two rounds," according to the affidavit.
But "when deputies conducted further investigation at the residence where the dogs were located, it was observed that both dogs appeared to be within an enclosed area, and both appeared to be on leashes tied to a trailer," the affidavit states.
After Bailey was arrested, police asked him where his gun was.
"He informed me it was a .22 Winchester Magnum revolver located under the driver's side seat of his truck," according to the affidavit. "I located the firearm under the driver's side seat of the truck, fully loaded with no spent casing in the cylinder. I asked Joshua where the spent casings were and he said he was not sure."
Deputies searching the area could not find any spent casings. The affidavit does not provide any additional information about the dog that was shot.
