Man charged after reportedly killing and hiding neighbor’s puppy

SALMON — A 63-year-old man has been charged with two felonies after his neighbors reported that he shot their 9-month-old puppy, Annie, and hid her body.

David Ellis is charged with felonies for malicious injury to property and concealment of evidence.

According to court documents, on Jan. 15 a man and his wife contacted a Lemhi County Sheriff’s deputy to report their neighbor, Ellis, shot their young dog and was refusing to give the body back.

Deputies spoke with the couple, who stated that Ellis reportedly shot the dog while it was on the road and said the dog was not harassing Ellis’ cattle. They told the deputy that Ellis had allegedly threatened to shoot the dog in the past and said there was a big argument about the dog in November.

The couple stated that the dog was a “thousand dollar dog, and after shipping, it cost around five thousand dollars.” Court documents do not say what the dog’s breed was.

The deputy spoke with Ellis, who admitted he shot the dog while it was on his property where his cattle are fed. Ellis reportedly showed the deputy where he shot the dog, but police reports say there “were no visible signs of blood or hair at that location as the cattle are milling around the area.”

According to Ellis, the dog was coming up the road when he was going down the road to get hay, and he “chased the dog with his truck back down the road.” When he returned, he says the dog was “in with his cows and had them pushed up against the fence,” so he shot it.

Police reports say the deputy determined there were no cattle on the property at the time the dog was shot.

Court documents say Ellis stated that after he shot the dog, he loaded it onto his 4-wheeler and “disposed of it,” saying, “they are not getting it back.”

Ellis claimed the neighbors have “made threats to kill him if he harms their dogs” and said it’s been an issue for the last two years.

The deputy went back to the neighbors, who took the deputy to the area where they believed the dog was shot. According to police reports, the deputy noticed some “muck boot prints on the roadway that had a very long stride” and “tracks on the side of the roadway from deer and dogs.”

Police reports say the deputy found no evidence of blood or hair in this area.

The deputy called Ellis and left a message, stating he needed to return the dog’s body as it could be considered depriving them of their property.

Later that day, the couple called the deputy and stated they had found the dog and were sitting with it while Ellis “tried to run cattle through the crime scene.” According to court documents, they were able to take a video of Ellis attempting to destroy the area.

The deputy met with the couple, photographed the scene, and turned the dog’s body over to its owners.

Shortly after, the deputy received a voicemail from Ellis, reportedly stating that he needed to talk to the deputy again. He said, “I was in a poor situation where I was trying to make the best of a poor situation and ended up just making it worse by not being completely honest with you.”

On Jan. 20, the deputy met with Ellis at the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office for an interview, where he allegedly admitted to where he shot the dog. He then refused further questioning.

On Jan. 22, the neighbors again called the deputy to report that Ellis was “driving by their residence, waving and watching the house as he goes by.” The wife stated they believe Ellis is “dangerous and is capable of harming herself, husband, or her other dog.”

Ellis was charged on Jan. 29 and was summoned to court but not arrested. A no-contact order has been issued for the victims, and Ellis is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 11.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

Though Ellis has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.