Two charged in Bollinger County pit bull death

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Two Marble Hill men have been charged with misdemeanor offenses related to the death and disposal of a pit bull.

Levi Snider, 24, is charged with animal abuse for having allegedly killed the dog under circumstances not allowed by law. Travis Reed, 28, is charged with littering for having improperly disposed of the carcass by allegedly placing it upon premises that were not his own.

On Oct. 22, the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department received a report of a pit bull carcass being found in a field near County Road 318. Initial reports of the discovery described a dog being tortured, dragged by a truck, tied to a post and set on fire, possibly while alive.

According to a news release from the sheriff's department, Snider said he shot the dog because it had been aggressive toward him on his property and had interfered with his archery deer hunting. He denied any other maltreatment of the dog, according to the release.

The release said Reed stated that he heard the shots fired a week earlier and Snider approached him about getting rid of the carcass.

The carcass was exhumed and submitted to the Animal Health Diagnostics Center at Cornell University. The examination concluded that the cause of death could not be determined for reasons including decomposition of the remains. No bullet or bullet fragments were found in the remains. The examination showed no evidence of torture or mutilation to a live animal.

Pertinent address:

Marble Hill, Mo.