A couple tried to kill their border collie, Scout, with a BB gun because they could no longer afford him, police said.

Keith Ropp, 26, of the Flanders section of Mount Olive and his girlfriend, Carly McBride, 24, of Long Valley walked Scout, 10, into a wooded area off Drakesdale Road in Mount Olive on Saturday and shot him six times with a BB gun, according to criminal complaints.

When the dog did not die, the duo took him to the Flanders Veterinary Clinic, where Dr. Nicholas Minervini discovered two pellets embedded in the dog through X-rays, according to criminal complaints.

A court affidavit states Ropp used a .177-caliber BB gun, considered a handgun, to shoot Scout six times. However, Minervini found two areas on Scout's body where BBs penetrated, according to records.

Minervini called police because the couple's story sounded suspicious, court records show. Police asked the couple to voluntarily go to police headquarters for questioning, and before being transported by police vehicle, as Ropp was being checked for weapons, several BBs or pellets fell out of his pocket, records show.

Ropp admitted he and McBride could not afford Scout and were "taking him on his last walk before either putting him down or dropping him off at a shelter," court records say. Scout was registered to a relative of McBride, but she and Ropp were most recently caring for the border collie, authorities said.

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Ropp told police they tried for a few months to find a home for the dog but had no luck because of Scout's age, records say. Neither Ropp nor McBride could immediately be reached Wednesday.

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Ropp and McBride were separately interviewed by police, and both said they had planned for a few hours to shoot Scout, records show. They reportedly took the dog into the woods, where, Ropp admitted, he shot the dog. They said that when Scout did not die but was in pain, they took him to the clinic, court records say.

Both are charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun. They are not specifically charged with animal cruelty. They are due in Superior Court on Oct. 24.

Minervini said the dog is doing well and will go home with clinic vet Dr. Jesse Gasparro. Minervini condemned the incident as "horrible" but said he has some sympathy for the couple because of their financial situation.

"He's a very mellow dog who gets along with the other dogs, and he likes cats," Minervini said.

One BB shot missed the dog's heart and was lodged in soft tissue, he said. Another is lodged in the back of Scout's neck. The BBs will not be surgically removed and Scout is not expected to suffer any lasting complications, Minervini said.

Police recovered the BB gun from Ropp's car, records show.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.