Bishopville, SC (WLTX) -- A Bishopville man is fighting for justice after another man shot his hunting dog. Craig Nesbit says a $500 fine is not enough.
"She was a very sweet dog, she had drive and really enjoyed hunting," said Nesbit.
Puddin, a 4-year-old red and white Walker Foxhound, was one of Nesbit's hunting dogs.
"I called her a 12-hour dog. You turn her loose and in 12 hours, you'll catch her," he said.
That's why talking about what happened on December 30 is difficult for him. It was the last Saturday of deer hunting season when Nesbit and his hunting buddies gathered up their dogs to go hunting.
Nesbit said he was following Puddin, who was running after a deer. That's when he noticed on his GPS that she had stopped running on Romaine Road in Bishopville.
"I didn't know what was going on around the area she was at...She come hopping out of the wood line, and at that point, it was a terrible situation because blood was everywhere," he said.
Nesbit said Puddin had been shot at least three times, and after talking with the veterinarian, they decided it would be best to put her down.
"It was like a dream that you don't want to have," he said.
According to an incident report from the SC Department of Natural Resources, the suspect, who has been identified as Reed Davis, told officials that he "fired his rifle between 8-10 times into the dirt and bushes but he did not intend to shoot or harm the dog."
The report goes on to say that Davis was issued a summons for the Renegade Dog Hunter Act, which states that a hunting dog cannot be shot, killed or harmed simply because the dog entered the property.
That summons resulted in a $500 fine, but Nesbit believes more should be done.
"I'm not okay with just a $500 fine and I will do all I can to figure out why other charges and stiffer charges have not been filed," he said.
Although Puddin is gone, Nesbit said he will not stop fighting for what he thinks is right.
"Something needs to be done. I'm going to do all I can and fight all I can for my dog that isn't here that can't fight."
News 19 stopped by Davis' home, but no one was home at the time.
According to DNR, this remains an ongoing investigation and further charges can still be made.