Man Sentenced for Killing Neighbor’s Dog

A Thousand Oaks man has been sentenced to 120 days of work furlough for fatally shooting a neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun because he was annoyed by its barking.

Gerald Thieman, 37, was arrested in February after a 2-year-old beagle belonging to a family across the street died from a pellet round. X-rays showed the dog had been shot at least three other times with lead pellets.

Thieman admitted to the shooting and pleaded guilty to one count of felony animal cruelty. Westlake Village attorney Philip Dunn said his client feels remorseful and has enrolled in anger-management classes.

Dunn said Thieman didn’t intend to kill the dog. In a letter to the judge, Thieman said he had previously called police to complain about the noisy animal, but the barking continued.

Under terms of his sentence, Thieman will be allowed to work at his construction job during the day but must spend his nights in jail. He was ordered to begin serving the sentence June 5.