Troopers: Wasilla man killed dog during domestic dispute

A Wasilla man was arrested Thursday night after he allegedly shot and killed a dog during an argument with a family member.

According to Alaska State Troopers, Nicholas Dismukes, 28, was involved in an argument at a residence on North Pioneer Peak Drive when he shot the dog in the living room. Troopers and Wasilla Police Department officers responded to the residence at around 9:41 p.m. and arrested Dismukes for fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons. He was taken to Mat-Su Pretrial and held without bail.

According to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters, killing a pet doesn’t always result in a cruelty to animals charge. Peters pointed out that Alaska statutes only allow for cruelty charges if an animal is subjected to prolonged suffering.

Here's the complete trooper dispatch on the incident:

Location: Wasilla Case number: AK15086233 Type: Misconduct Involving Weapons 4th degree Text: On 10/22/2015 at 2141 hours, Alaska State Troopers and Officers from the Wasilla Police Department responded to a report of a disturbance with shots fired at a residence on North Pioneer Peak in Wasilla. An investigation revealed Nicholas Dismukes, 28 of Wasilla, had been in an argument with a family member during which he fired a weapon inside the residence. The argument escalated after he shot and killed the family member's dog inside the living room of the residence. Dismukes was arrested for Misconduct Involving a Weapon in the 4th Degree and remanded into the custody of Matsu Pretrial facility where he was held without bail. Assigned Trooper: NLB1 Received Friday, October 23, 2015 9:23 AM and posted Friday, October 23, 2015 9:22 AM