Man Arrested for Allegedly Shooting Neighbor’s Dog

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of a man, identified as 50-year-old Robert Russell Rigdon, who was caught on a home security camera shooting and killing a neighbor’s dog.

Deputies said the footage shows Rigdon approaching a neighbor’s fence on Wellington Street and discharging multiple gunshots at approximately 8:04 a.m. Roughly three minutes later, Rigdon can be seen shaking the fence and beckoning the neighbor’s dog, named Ace by its owners, to the edge of the fence, according to investigators.

Ace was safely secured within the fence at the time. The video reveals Rigdon luring Ace to the edge of the fence before firing multiple shots, deputies said, resulting in Ace’s death. The Sheriff’s Office reviewed the footage and added that Rigdon can also be seen in the footage knocking on the front door of the neighbor’s home while armed.

Following the shooting, Ace had to be euthanized. Rigdon was subsequently arrested after the footage showed him shooting his neighbor’s dog over their fence. He has a prior history of assault and battery, according to the deputies.

Rigdon is facing charges of ill-treatment of animals and discharging a firearm into a dwelling. His bond was set at $15,000, and jail records indicate that he is no longer in custody.