A 23-year-old man was arrested this week after authorities say he shot and killed his neighbor’s Chihuahua with an assault rifle after the animal urinated on his lawn and car.

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office deputies began investigating the incident Monday when the dog’s owner came into the office to file an animal cruelty report. The woman said her white Chihuahua vanished from the frontyard of her home on Avenue 106 in Terra Bella.

She told deputies that she last saw the dog, named Chavo, as she was leaving her house Saturday morning. She noticed the dog was missing when she returned, and she suspected her neighbor was involved, sheriff’s officials said.

The woman’s neighbor, Modesto Ramos, told deputies he was angry at the dog for peeing on his property, so he shot the animal and buried him, according to sheriff’s officials.


Deputies said they found an AR-15 and an AK-47 — assault rifles that are illegal in California — inside Ramos’ home. He was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty causing death, possession of banned assault weapons and negligent discharge of a firearm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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