A Maine father has received death threats after he shot a pit bull that allegedly charged at him and his toddler son.
Adam Stade, of Bangor, was playing on his driveway with his 3-year-old when his neighbor, Samuel Robichaud, 32, let his dog, Blink, outside shortly before 9am on Tuesday.
Robichaud said he had the dog on a leash while he took his trash out, but the dog got away and ran toward Stade, jumping a barrier to get there.
That's when Stade fired four to five shots at the dog, hitting the eight-year-old Blink, her owner told the Bangor Daily News.
However, Stade rebuked his neighbor's story, accusing Robichaud of purposely letting go of the dog's collar and allowing it to charge at him and his son, Benny, he told The Maine Wire.
'That dog came flying straight across his whole driveway into my yard, and I shot it with Benny right behind me,' the single dad recalled to the outlet.
'I shot at it four times and hit it once, then the kid came flying over my garden to get his dog and chased it back to his place,' he continued. 'My main thought was: "Benny’s right here, I can’t let the dog get past me."'
Blink, whose owner said was an emotional support dog, was taken to a veterinarian and later euthanized.
Samuel Robichaud's dog Blink allegedly charged at Adam Stade and his son on Tuesday, causing the latter to shoot the dog several times
Blink, pictured with Robichaud, was taken to the vet and later euthanized. Robichaud was civilly charged with having a dog at large the following day
'Blink [was] more than just a pet - she’s my family,' Robichaud wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Robichaud was left with a $4,000 vet bill and is asking for help to pay for the dog's cremation.
The day after the shooting, Robichaud was civilly charged with allowing a dog to be at large, the Bangor Police Department said.
Bangor Detective Lieutenant Brent Beaulieu said the dog owner had been warned before about keeping his dog under control, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Stade told The Maine Wire he had called Animal Control and the police on Robichaud about Blink earlier that week.
Animal Control responded, speaking with Robichaud through his window, as the 32-year-old reportedly refused to open his door.
He reportedly told authorities his dog had not been violent before, and the pooch was allowed off-leash again, Stade told the outlet.
Stade admitted he threatened to shoot the dog if the animal came on his property.
Stade claimed the dog had been aggressive toward him earlier in the week and he had called Animal Control, who reported told the owner to keep his dog under control
Robichaud said Blink, an eight-year-old pit bull, was an emotional support dog and had never been violent
'You need to put your dog on a leash; if he comes over here, I will shoot your dog,' he recalled telling his neighbor.
'I don’t want to shoot anyone’s dog. I love dogs, but I don’t want that dog attacking me or my son,' he said.
'If you are a dog owner, you still have a responsibility to protect other little kids and grown-ups from your dog, and it’s sad that there are so many irresponsible dog owners out there.'
Since the incident, Stade has been subjected to a barrage of online threats, he told The Maine Wire.
'You're a disgusting pos [piece of s**t], I hope you get your kid taken away,' one message he shared with the outlet said. 'Or actually, I hope someone shoots your kid in the face five times and you watch.
'F**king big man you are. Pray you never see me in public, I will shoot you and that's a threat. I will feed you to my dogs...I will hurt you. Do us all a favor and go jump off a f**king bridge.'
People also reportedly posted his business card online, which included his phone number and email address.
Stade also accused Robichaud of deliberately letting go of the dog's collar while outside, allowing the dog to charge at him
Stade, who was given his handgun back by police, blamed the local news' portrayal of the situation for the reason he received the threats, he told The Maine Wire.
'Nothing in the news coverage of it said that it was a father, a single dad of a three-year-old protecting his son from a vicious pit bull that was attacking him on his property, so it’s a lot of media bias,' he said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Robichaud and Stade for comment.