An arrest warrant has been signed for a York Township woman, accused of fatally shooting her neighbor's dog in an act police called "not justified by law," according to the warrant.

According to York Area Regional Police, Zoe, a 1-year-old female pug belonging to Tammy and Brian Timcheck of York Township, wandered onto a neighbor's property and was shot on Sept. 1. Several more gunshots were fired when Brian Timcheck walked onto the property to find Zoe, the warrant states.

Zoe died the next day after extensive care, both in York and Malvern, Chester County.

Joan Marie McClintock, 49, of the 3100 block of Old Dutch Lane, faces charges of aggravated cruelty to animals - causing serious bodily injury or

death, cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person, according to online court dockets.

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As of Tuesday morning, the warrant had been signed, but McClintock had not been served, according to District Judge Scott Laird's office.

A phone call to McClintock's home Wednesday was abruptly disconnected when a woman who answered to the name "Joan" discovered a reporter was calling her.

She told police Zoe was "scaring her birds" that she keeps in coops on her property, according to the warrant.

"The Pug was not in the act of pursuing, wounding, or killing an animal, as the nearest birds were inside wire coops and not accessible to the dog," police wrote in the warrant. "McClintock was not justified by law, to shoot and kill the dog, under the given circumstances."

Tammy Timcheck said Tuesday she was relieved that charges had been filed in the case, but that the memory of losing her dog was still hurtful.

"My husband and I, neither of us can look at pictures of her, it's too difficult and emotional," she said.

'Saw his dog get hit'

At 10:41 a.m. on Sept. 1, Tammy Timcheck called York County 911 to report that Zoe had been shot by a neighbor and that the dog was at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center of York for treatment, the warrant states.

Brian Timcheck told police that about 10 a.m., he took his older dog outside their Skylight Drive East home in York Township and that Zoe followed, running out of the garage door. Minutes later, when he went to look for Zoe, he heard McClintock's dogs barking and started to walk in that direction, the warrant states.

As Brian Timcheck was walking at the rear of McClintock's property, he heard two gunshots and then saw Zoe.

"The dog was running around several bird cages in the rear yard," according to the warrant. "Brian then heard another shot and saw his dog get hit."

Brain Timcheck picked up Zoe and headed for the emergency center. In talking with police, he said he did not see any loose animals or birds near Zoe, the warrant states.

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Police investigate

In their investigation, police spoke with McClintock, who admitted she shot Zoe. She said that on Sept. 1, her two dogs, penned up at the rear of her property, started barking. She looked outside, saw Zoe near her bird coops and retrieved a .17 caliber rifle, according to the warrant.

"She stated that she fired two warning shots," the warrant states. "When the dog did not leave, Joan went inside and reloaded the clip. She returned outside to find that the dog was still running around the 'outside of the pens, scaring the birds.' McClintock stated that she shot the dog in the 'back end.'"

McClintock said she heard Zoe yelp and run off. Then she heard Brian Timcheck yell and went back inside her home, the warrant states.

Police asked McClintock if she saw any of her birds loose near Zoe at any time; she said she did not, the warrant states.

Zoe was transferred from the emergency center in Spring Garden Township to the VRC Specialty Hospital in Malvern, where she died on Sept. 2 after surgery. Zoe was known to be healthy before the shooting, according to the warrant.

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Police wrote in the warrant that "There was no evidence that a domestic animal or fowl was in imminent danger of being harmed or killed by the small Pug. ... she (McClintock) could have taken any one of several more reasonable actions."

In addition, McClintock's "warning shots" put Brian Timcheck in danger of serious bodily injury, the warrant states.

'Full of life'

Tammy Timcheck said Tuesday she and her husband were confident justice would be served for Zoe.

"We believe in the system, and we have to be patient," she said.

She described Zoe, who was born on July 4, 2018, as a "little firecracker. She was full of life, affectionate, friendly and sweet."

Tammy Timcheck said although her property is near McClintock's, she did not know her and never had any contact with her.

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"We have no knowledge of the people whatsoever," she said.

News of Zoe's death had been circulating on Facebook for several weeks, particularly on the page Justice for Zoe.

"People have been so kind to us," Tammy Timcheck said. "We're just very appreciative of everybody's thoughts and prayers.'

Contact Ted Czech at 717-771-2033.