LITCHFIELD - Authorities say a Dassel man shot dead a neighbor's service dog in April 2015, removed its collar and dragged it into a swamp.
The dog's owner, a U.S. Army veteran, reportedly found the Siberian Husky four days later, with gunshot wounds to its head and stomach.
Last year, Meeker County authorities charged Rodney Carl Mollet, 39, with mistreating an animal, a misdemeanor, in connection with the killing of the dog.
On Thursday, Mollet pleaded guilty to the charge. It was an Alford plea, in which a defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that there is evidence that would likely result in a conviction.
Mollet was sentenced to three months of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay $1,505 in restitution. Once his probation is completed, the charge will be dismissed.
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Mollet told police he shot the animal outside his parents' home from 350 yards away because he believed it to be a coyote. He allegedly used a 7mm rifle.
According to the criminal complaint, he said he realized his mistake once he approached the animal. He shot the dog again to "make sure" it was dead, then brought it to the swamp near his father's property.
Though he noticed a veterinary clinic tag on the dog's collar, he did not contact the clinic. He told police he had intended to.
The husky, named Cleo, was worth $2,500, according to the criminal complaint.
