A Worland, Wyoming dog survived after being shot and burned for allegedly being in a neighbor's chicken coop. Now the owners of the dog want to change the Wyoming laws that prevent animal cruelty charges from being filed against the person who shot their dog and then burned him alive.
Bo, a blue heeler, was shot twice on a neighbor's property. The neighbors, who say they thought Bo was dead, put him in a burn barrel with gasoline and lit him on fire. At that point Bo leapt from the barrel, still on fire, and headed for home and safety.
Bo's family, the Redland's, saw their dog running home and could not comprehend what was wrong with him. He had third degree burns and his hair was falling out. The family didn't stop to wonder, or even put on shoes, but headed for the vet.
It didn't look like Bo could live. He was kept on a floor in the vet office because he could not step into a kennel. His thick coat actually kept him from being fatally burned, but he could not lay down on his own for over a month. The Redlands report that Bo is still his sweet self, but sometimes he limps.
Their dog was shot in December, now the Redlands are moving where their dog will be safer. They are considering a lawsuit to recover the veterinary costs. But no charges can be filed because the shooter claimed to be protecting his livestock. No chickens were harmed and there is no evidence that Bo was ever in the chicken coop.
Bo's family now wants to change the law so incidents like this will not be legal. No chickens had been harmed, yet the intent was to kill Bo. Bo had tags, but the law protecting the shooter also did not require him to notify the tag holder if he had killed their dog. The Redlands have set up a FaceBook page, " Bo's Cause for Abused Paws," in an effort to change animal cruelty laws in Wyoming.
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