Hunter Charged After Shooting Man's Dogs

Pete Byers says he was preparing to take his dogs and his tools on a work trip to Pittsburgh when his two beloved companions, Bella and Emmy, disappeared. “I turned around to lock that gate. I turned around my dogs were gone,” Byers said. “And it’s the opening day of gun season so I’m like dying inside. I’m scared to death.” Byers says an hours-long search near his Belmont County, Ohio, home began. He enlisted the help of friends and neighbors and used four-wheelers, all the while calling for his pets. Byers says hunters reported hearing shots and a dog yelp, and eventually a trail of tracks allegedly led to Michael Chedester’s tree stand some 800 yards away. “I asked him, did you kill my dogs man, I want to know so I can bury them. Meanwhile he keeps eyeing this new brush pile. That’s new and fresh,” Byers said. “Then he kind of looks down his nose at me and says ‘yeah, I killed your dogs. You want me to buy you two new ones? I’ll buy you two new dogs.” Byers said Emmy’s paw was sticking out from the brush pile. Prosecutor Dan Fry said 59-year-old Chedester faces two felony charges of prohibitions concerning companion animals, NBC affiliate WTOV reported. He faces 12 months behind bars on each count. Since the shooting, dozens of angry messages have been posted to a Facebook page that appears to belong to Chedester.