A northwest Maryland man has been convicted of two counts of felony animal cruelty for killing two of his neighbors' dogs.
Jeffrey Hurd, 55, of Williamsport, faced up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines for the convictions. A sentencing date was not set.
Hurd was also found guilty of two counts of malicious destruction of property by Washington County Circuit Judge Kennedy Boone.
Each of those convictions carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The shooting of the German shepherd and the black Labrador retriever was justified because they were chasing wild game on his property, Hurd said.
However, Hurd had reasonable alternatives to killing the dogs, including calling the owners or the Natural Resources Police, according to Boone.
