Rickey Evin Wilberg of Tabiona, Utah, is facing charges after shooting his own dog.
According to Tuesday's Salt Lake Tribune, the 61-year-old man, who was formerly a member of the Tabiona City Council, is no stranger to crimes involving dogs and guns.
Wilberg resigned from city council after shooting his neighbor's puppy back in 2011.
The first incident allegedly took place because Wilberg was mad at the nine-month-old puppy's incessant barking. The pup, a Chihuahua named "Rocky," was killed after being shot with a .22-caliber rifle.
The most recent incident involves Wilberg's shooting of his own dog.
On Feb. 6, authorities received a 911 call from someone who heard a gunshot. Responding officers spoke to Wilberg, who informed them that he shot his dog outside, and then put the dog into a garbage can and shot again, "so that it would not suffer."
There is no mention of Wilberg's motives for shooting his dog.
Authorities also smelled alcohol on Wilberg's breath and he admitted to drinking. In the prior shooting incident, Wilberg was intoxicated as well, but as part of his plea deal, the intoxication charges were dismissed.
Authorities have charged Wilberg with several misdemeanor crimes for the Feb. 6 shooting, including possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, discharge of a firearm and intoxication.
More significantly, he is facing a third-degree felony charge for possession of a firearm by a restricted person, due to his prior conviction involving the puppy killing in 2011.
Read about the prior shooting incident at this link.
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