A Michigan man has been arrested in the alleged shooting death of a pet donkey in LaPorte County. According to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 8600 block of North Wilhelm Road shortly after 9:00 Sunday evening, in response to a possible domestic disturbance.
Deputies say they found a man and a woman, reported to be boyfriend and girlfriend, arguing when they arrived. Both were intoxicated, according to officers, and the woman claimed that she’d been physically battered by the boyfriend.
While investigating the incident, a deputy noticed a domestic donkey on the property that appeared to be in distress. It was determined that the donkey, identified as Jack, had been shot in the head near the left eye. Officers say they called for medical assistance, but Jack died before a veterinarian could arrive.
Olvydas Abromavicius, 50, of Union Pier, Michigan was charged with Class A misdemeanor Domestic Battery. He was also charged with Domestic Violence Animal Cruelty, a Level 6 felony. According to Indiana Code, it deals with the killing of “a vertebrate animal with the intent to threaten, intimidate, coerce, harass, or terrorize a family or household member.”
Abromavicius was transported to the LaPorte County Jail, but first he was taken to LaPorte Hospital where his blood alcohol level was found to be .30-percent. He’s scheduled to appear in LaPorte Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
