Sherriff Murders Two dogs in South Dakota

[Cindy Reid]

Please help!! I am posting the story that I had my niece write regarding the murder of her 2 dogs on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 in Agar, South Dakota by the Sully County sherriff, Bill Stahl. His phone # is 605-350-7380. Her name is Elisha Prien, I can give her address and phone number if newpaper, tv, or legal official needs it to do SOMETHING about this. I would appreciate any and all help, suggestions, anything that can be done about this horriffic situation and the cruelty displayed by the law in that area. THANK YOU!! I am posting this in multiple groups in hopes of getting this story out to as many people as possible.

On Saturday the 19th of April I gave my dogs a bath and after waiting tilll they were dry, I let them out to use the bathroom as usual. About 5 minutes later I went to let them in and only my dog Gresky came in. Yzerman and Tippie wouldn't respond. I kept going out and calling for them but they didn't respond. They didn't come home that night and I was worried because that isn't like my dogs not to come when I called them. On Sunday morning, after a sleepless night, I went up and down the road looking for my dogs hoping for the best, and still I couldnt find them. By Sunday evening I was VERY worried! Knowing my dogs were gone for almost 24 hrs and had not come home I couldn't bear to think that something bad had happened to them. My husband and I had heard the neighbor wanted to harm our dogs, so when my husband came home from work he went to our neighbors house to confront the man. He said he had not killed the dogs and that we wouldn't find them on his property. Worried that he was lying, I called the sheriff. No one was at the jail so I left a very distressful message. About 20 minutes later I got a call back from the sheriff, I told him my story and he said to me "I killed your dogs!" Very disgusted and in shock, I asked him why and he replied " Saturday afternoon someone hit a deer on the highway and your dogs came out of the shelter belt and started eating on the deer. And dragged the deer from the ditch to the field." (which is odd knowing that my dogs are both small, Yzerman only weighs 48 pounds and Tippie only weighs around 10 pounds as he was just 6 months old and a small breed, and a deer usually weighs around 150 pounds) He said when he approached my dogs they were growling at him. Which I also find odd. Yzerman is one of the most well mannered dogs you would of ever meet, and Tippie too. So he said he shot them because they didnt have any collars on them. I tried to explain that I had just given them a bath before I let them out to go to the bathroom and had not had the chance to put their collars back on. And he had said that he had to put the deer down also. Another oddity, why would the dogs attempt to "eat on the deer" or drag it off the road if it were still alive?? The whole time I spoke with the sheriff he had no remorse, even after I told him Tippie was still a puppie. She wasnt even 6 months old yet!! He said to me "we can't have dogs running at large" has he never heard of animal control? And knowing for a fact there are at least 15 dogs running around Onida.(at large). He even went as far as to tell me he wasn't going to sit there and be interrogated by me! I feel I had EVERY right to find out what happened to my babies!! So when I hung up the phone my husband and I went to the field to try and find our dogs, and sadly we did. My dogs were around 100 yards west of the deer, and Yzer and Tip were around 30 yards apart from one another. Also to my horror, I also noticed he had shot them in their stomachs!! Which meant they had lain there and suffered in severe pain and agony for hours until they died!!! My husband and I have had Yzer since he was a pup. He would of been 3 years old in November. Anyone who has ever met our boy instantly fell in love with him. He held a spot in everyone's heart who ever met him! He was very social (loved attention) and has went everywhere with us since he was a pup. And Tippie was always happy shaking her butt and wagging her tail. They both were exellent with children. Ask any of our friends! And what makes this so hard for my husband and I, is that I am unable to have children and those dogs were our kids! You would never of met more spoiled dogs! I have done nothing but sit and cry since my babies were murdered ,knowing I will never get to see my dogs run and play again. No one ever tried to contact us to let us know there was a problem. I know there has to be a better way to have handled the situation other than killing innocent dogs!! In my eyes the sheriff ,Bill Stahl, of Sully county in Agar,South Dakota killed my kids! It is a very small town, and he knew who the dogs belonged to. None of the information that he gave me regarding the reason he shot my dogs, or the location that I found their bodies in regards to the body of the deer, why we or even animal control wasn't contacted, or basically ANYTHING he said has a bit of truth to it... I ask with a very heavy heart for someone to help my husband and I see justice for my babies! I can't fight someone who thinks he is above the law by myself. And if you don't stand for what you believe in you will fall for everything! And intend to stand tall for my babies. Knowing they are unable to do so for there selfs now.

Elisha Prien
Agar, South Dakota

[Ian]

The deer was hit by a car and could not get away. Bill had no idea whose dogs they were nor did anybody else in Agar, no tags no owner.
Like I said sorry for your loss but making up stories is no sub for the truth.

[Susy]

THEY ATE NOT MAKING STUFF UP!

[Susan Kroll]

What is being overlooked is that innocent animals were murdered by a supposedly responsible person in position of authority because of a personal grudge! Do we kill children that have irresponsible parents?? Even if the dogs were running at large they did not deserve this and anyone so limited in their thinking and inability to show compassion SHOULD NOT HAVE A WEAPON!! Are you saying it is alright to gun down all stray dogs also??? These actions, if allowed to go unpunished, have many negative implications for overlooking violent, unjuistifiesd acts against innocents in the future! Should we randomly shoot down abandoned children too since they had "bad" parents? You need to honestly re-eaxamine the consequences these actions could have and stop thinking on a personal level only!! Apparently the sherriff is your "buddy" but you need to stand up for what you truly believe to be right. If you think about it, you will arrive at the conclusion this should have been handled differently. Where was animal control in all of this???? In IL it is the law that every county has an officer to deal with strays; and by "deal with", I mean impound, not shoot down in cold blood and left to die!! What kind of people are you to justify this? Scary! Sounds like your police, who are supposed to work for the public, are above the law!! That is frightening!

[Cindy Reid]

SOUTH DAKOTA LAWS regarding injuring or killing animals...YOUR LAWS Bob....You admitted that he shot them in the abdomen, or "gut shot" them and they didn't die immediately.....HOW SICK to defend this action.

.40-1-12 Allowing fatally injured or diseased animal to suffer needlessly prohibited -- Violation as misdemeanor.
No person may keep any animal which is injured or diseased, past recovery, or unfit for any useful purpose and in suffering, or intentionally abandon to die any sick or disabled animal. A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

40-1-21 Killing or injuring animal of another as misdemeanor -- Authorized euthanasia excepted.
No person may intentionally kill any animal of any age or value, the property of another, nor intentionally injure any such animal. A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section may not be construed to prevent euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian with proper authority from the animal's owner nor may it prevent acts of euthanasia authorized by this chapter. This section may not be construed to prohibit euthanasia conducted by the municipality or under a municipality's animal control activities. This section may not be construed to prohibit activities conducted under chapter 40-34.

[Wanda]

Bob sounds like a sick individual and inhumane!!! The dogs did not have to be shot, they could have been caught and the owners found. This was cruel and thoughtless. If there is a petition that can be signed and sent to law makers please let me know and forward to me. I am so sorry to the animal owners, this would have broke my heart if it were me. I had to have my dog put down 2 yrs ago by the vet in a very humane way. That hurt bad enough but to have this done to those dogs was just awful. Sounds like to me the sheriff maybe was just trying to use his authority and thinks he is above the law as so many law officers do!!!!!

[tracey]

So, does that mean the next time Bob or whoever, runs amuck, we get to shoot them??

[Cindy Reid]

ONLY if you live in Agar, South Dakota...and if your lucky, they will shoot you in the abdomen to ensure that you have a slow, painful, agonizing death......Golly gee, what great folks they are there...

[tracey]

I am so sorry for you and yours...! But, I think it's justice if we could shoot the men, or at least I'd feel better...! People forget that they are animals and need us to care for them, not abuse them...Some just don't get it because they're unkind to begin with...

[Michelle Sando]

FACT















FACT!!!!!........THEY WERE SHOT IN THE STOMACH BY A PROFESSIONAL WHO COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY SHOT THEM IN THE HEART OR HEAD TO EASE THEIR SUFFERING IF HE WAS TRAINED PROPERLY...................UNACEPTABLE...
END OF STORY..........................

[tracey]

No, I wouldn't do the same thing. And I have been in situations where I could have in a bad way. I use to help a friend out of Mo rescue pitbulls. I have walked up to a rather" scary"(because they were afraid and abused) dog a time or two, But never did it enter my mind to kill the animal... Not Once..!!! Apparently, you don't understand what this group is for, I'm not really concerned with the humans issues, but the animals...
And there really isn't two sides in this story. Animals can't stand up and say "hey, it's ok. I won't hurt you. Put you gun down"...They need voices for them and I'm one of those voices. If you think I'm going to feel sorry for a human, Your sadly mistaken..I can't even begin to tell the horror stories I've came across, caused by Humans....If you want to defend the sherriff, your on the wrong website.

[Wanda]

I couldn't agree more with Tracey's comments!!! Keep up the good fight for animals everyone!! I have seen more damage done by kids than dogs. I have had a hard time renting or vacactioning with my dogs. But I have seen what kids do to houses, yards etc...Dogs get a bad rap and I am very defensive about it. We do have to speak up for them and we shall continue to do so!!!!

[S Zebroski]

Cindy, You keep refering to SD codified law chapter 40-34. There are other parts to this law that need to be shared. 40-1-2.5. : Dangerous animal defined. For the purposes of this chapter 40-2, a dangerous animal is any animal that, by itself or by environmental circumstances, at the determination of the board, any agent or officer of a humane society, or any peace officer after investigation, is a threat to the physical well-being of other owned animals or humans. 40-1-24.: Authority of officer or agent to control dangerous animal--Seizure, impoundment, or, euthanasia authorized. Any peace office, officer, or agent of a humane society, or agent of the board may use all necessary means to control a dangerous animal so as not to immediately jeopardize the health or safety of themselves or others. Any officer or agent of a humane society, agent of the board, or peace officer may enter, search, investigate premises, take testimony from owners and witnesses and seize, impound, or euthanize a dangerous animal. 40-1-31.: Liability of officer or agent. No agent of the board, peace officer, or agent or officer of a humane society may be held liable as the result of reasonable actions taken pursuant to this chapter. Let me first state Cindy that I know Elisha, I met her and Jeremy soon after they moved to this area. While working on the rural farmhouse where they live, I noticed that Yzerman had run off after a deer and had been gone more than an hour, I advised Elisha that this was not acceptable in farm country. I explained that a most of the neighbors had animals and would not look kindly on a strange dog or any dog running loose. If he kept doing it one day he would just not come home. So if she cared anything for him please don't let him run. I indeed am sad to see that this happened. But I am also angry to see the way you are attacking the citizens of Sully Co. I personally have been a victim of a neighbors dog attacking and killing 9 of our sheep in a closed pen, this was also a (nice) dog who would never kill another living animal for any reason, as the owner said the 2 other times that it came to our farm. Good neighbors beget good neighbors.... Rural ediquite is simply that you don't let your animals run loose be it livestock or pets. So I find it regrettable that a lot of the respondents to this non- factual article find no fault in the owners of Yzerman. In closing, Cindy, could you please refrain from insulting the citizens of Sully Co.