Judge declares mistrial for man accused of killing neighbor’s yellow lab after court therapy dog wanders into jury room
A Pennsylvania judge declared a mistrial for a man accused of killing his neighbor’s yellow lab after jurors interacted with a courthouse therapy dog that wandered into their room, according to reports.
Judge Michael Salisbury declared the mistrial Friday after the therapy dog, named Clark, accidentally entered the room where jurors had gathered following their lunch break for the trial of Robert Wallish III, PennLive reported. Wallish faces multiple charges, including aggravated animal cruelty, for killing his neighbor’s yellow-mix lab, Hemi, near his hunting cabin in 2024, court records show.
Clark, a black lab, was at the courthouse with his probation office handler when his leash was dropped, allowing him to wander into the juror room, where several jurors petted him, the outlet reported.
After learning about the unplanned visit, Judge Salisbury called Wallish’s defense attorney and the district attorney into his chambers to address the situation. Wallish’s attorney, Sarah Marie Lockwood, requested a mistrial, despite the DA suggesting that jurors be polled and given a curative instruction. The judge ultimately granted the mistrial, according to PennLive.
The mistrial means Wallish’s case will be retried with a new jury unless he accepts a plea agreement. Jury selection is currently scheduled for May 15.
Wallish, 55, previously testified that he shot Hemi while checking trail cameras on his one-acre hunting camp property in December 2024. He said he heard a growl, turned, and fired, not realizing he had hit a dog until afterward.
“I felt terrible because it was a dog,” Wallish said in court. “I felt awful. I love dogs.”
He admitted placing Hemi’s remains in a garbage bag and leaving the body in a field about three miles from his home in Dauphin County. He said he did not know the dog, which belonged to neighbors Andrew and Alyssa Gavlock.
Wallish remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail as the case moves toward a potential retrial.
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