Veterinarian accused of shooting neighbor's dog for barking | The Sacramento Bee

When Stacey Fitzner learned Bruizer, her 15-month-old American bulldog, had been found with a gunshot wound to the back of his head in her back yard, she rushed him to the nearest pet hospital.

Veterinarian Kelly Folse, 35, wasn’t on duty Dec. 13 when Fitzner brought in Bruizer, who died the next day. Louisiana authorities later arrested Folse, Fitzner’s next-door neighbor, on suspicion of killing Bruizer because he barked too much, WDSU reported.

Folse, of River Ridge, La., faces charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, illegal discharge of a firearm and drug-related charges stemming from a search of her home, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Investigators seized diazepam and adderall, one of which was obtained through prescriptions intended for Folse’s pets, WVUE reported.

Folse told investigators she believed Bruizer was aggressive, but neighbors said that wasn’t the case, according to WDSU.

“This is crazy, a veterinarian shooting a dog of her next door neighbor,” Sheriff Joseph Lopinto told The New Orleans Times-Picayune. “This is nuts. I don’t know how else to put it.”

Fitzner said she had left Bruizer in her back yard while she went to work. A relative found the puppy with a bullet wound to the head that afternoon.

“The dog was just shaken and in shock and still breathing and everything,” relative Mike Giangrosso told WILX. “He had his head up. I thought there may have been a chance.”

The family took Bruizer to Abadie Veterinary Hospital, where veterinarian Scott Abadie found the dog had a bullet wound entering the back of his head and exiting through his eye, WILX reported. Bruizer died the next day.

Fitzner showed investigators a series of hostile text messages and videos from Folse citing complaints about Bruizer’s barking, reported The Times-Picayune. Folse was arrested Tuesday and has been fired from the veterinary hospital.

Abadie told WVUE that Folse had worked at his pet hospital since she was 15 years old, starting out as a veterinary technician. He said he’d never received any complaints about her work.

“We’re shocked and disgusted of the actions of her,” Abadie told the station. “It’s just not something you expect of anybody, especially a vet.”