Man shot at dog because his girlfriend loved it more — but hit her, Missouri police say

An Eldon, Missouri man got it in his head that his girlfriend likes her dog more than him, a thought that authorities say he expressed before he shot her on New Year’s Eve.

Thomas J. Stogsdill Jr., 42, told deputies from the Miller County Sheriff’s Office that he “accidentally shot” her in the leg but was aiming for the dog, according to court documents reviewed by KMIZ in Jefferson City.

The girlfriend, who has not been named in media reports, told authorities that Stogsdill accused her of misdirected affection and that he was going to shoot her dog, the documents show.

Deputies arrived at a home on Sandstone Road outside Eldon right before the new year began. They “located a female with a gunshot wound to her lower extremities,” according to a press release on the department’s Facebook page.

She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, the statement says.

Stogsdill faces three felony charges, including domestic assault and possessing or discharging a firearm while intoxicated, according to the News Tribune in Jefferson City.

His blood alcohol level reportedly measured 0.161 when deputies arrested him, KSIS in Sedalia reported. That’s twice the legal limit for driving in the state, according to DMV.org. He is in jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond, according to the radio station.

This is the second case in the last week of a domestic dispute over a dog.

Last week in Chicago police arrested a man they say threw two elderly Chihuahuas off a second-floor balcony because he was jealous that his wife loved the family dogs more.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Jerald Jeske, 51, told his wife “I’m going to kill those dogs.” One of them, a 17-year-old Chihuahau, died in the fall.

This story was originally published January 4, 2019 at 9:16 AM.