Demand Officials Revoke Gun License From Man Who Shot and Killed a Puppy in His Yard

In Lakeville, Massachusetts, a Golden Retriever puppy named Walle was shot five times and killed by a neighbor after the dog had gotten loose. The man, identified as Mark Vasseur, claimed that the puppy “looked aggressive,” which caused him to fire the gun repeatedly at the animal. Walle’s guardians, Krissy Dashner and Pat Bates, are now mourning the loss of the puppy – while a petition has been launched to revoke the man’s gun license.

Two dogs, Walle and a German Shepherd puppy, Zeke, got out of the house to go exploring the neighborhood and the surrounding woods. Dashner and Bates went out to search for the pair and continued to look for them for an hour – after which they heard five gunshots. Later, they learned from the police that the gunshots had been aimed at their own dogs – and that Walle had been shot and killed.

The man responsible for the killing was tracked down by the media but identified by multiple television stations only as “Mark.” He told CBS Boston that he had heard commotion near his chicken coop and seized his gun before going to check on it. He also told the news stations that the puppy had been growling and had made an attack. To other media outlets, he said Walle had killed one of his chickens – and that he did not regret what he had done to the animal.

Bates stated that Walle was not an aggressive dog. “I am so very heartbroken. My beautiful Walle was shot to death tonight. I can’t even believe this,” Dashner wrote after the event. “What is this world coming to.”

“I can’t imagine why you would ever shoot Walle or any dog. Just call animal control,” she added. The man did not choose the obvious and reasonable option, if a problem with the dog’s behavior was actually the case – he just reached for the gun.

According to the petition, the man responsible for shooting the dog has many posts on his Facebook page declaring him as a “shoot first, ask questions later” gun owner. In the light of the bigger problem of a lack of gun control in the U.S. and the recent events connected to it, it is clear that this kind of behavior and attitude towards gun ownership is not in any way safe – and that the man should not be able to own a firearm. “His actions are a red flag and his next action may be against another human,” the petition points out.

Click here to sign a petition for the Lakeville, MA Police Chief to revoke Mark Vasseur’s gun license for killing the puppy.

Image source: Krissy Dashner/MassLive