Wannabe Coyote Hunter Allegedly Shoots Wife’s Dog In Driveway
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Authorities in Massachusetts have charged a 59-year-old lawyer with animal cruelty after investigators say he fatally shot his wife’s elderly dog while attempting to hunt coyotes from inside his home.
Christopher Lucas was arrested Monday and faces several charges, including animal cruelty, hunting without a license, hunting out of season, and firing a weapon near a residence. According to police, the incident occurred on Aug. 16, 2025.
Investigators say Lucas fired a rifle from a second-floor room above his garage. The shot struck Lise, the family’s 14-year-old dog, while the animal was in the driveway. Security cameras at the home reportedly captured the entire event, including footage of a family member crying over the dying dog.
Authorities said Lucas did not possess a valid Massachusetts hunting license and was hunting outside the legal season.
Massachusetts man charged after fatally shooting family dog in in head while illegally hunting coyotes in driveway, police say. pic.twitter.com/YS8gtiBdhC
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) March 10, 2026
Prosecutors told the court that Lucas’s wife did not report the incident to police until February 2026. Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Kelsey Shea said Lucas told his wife he believed the animal he shot was a coyote. She also told investigators that Lucas regularly tried to hunt coyotes from the windows of their home using rifles and would place dog food in the yard to lure them before shooting.
In March, Lucas filed his own report with police, claiming his wife threatened to report the shooting unless he accepted her terms in their divorce proceedings.
Lucas’s attorney, Ken DiFazio, said the timing of the complaint is connected to the couple’s ongoing dispute over property in Canton probate court.
Prosecutors also said the wife reported she was about five feet away from the dog when the gunshot occurred. According to investigators, doorbell camera footage showed her kneeling beside Lise while the dog’s tail was still moving.
Court documents state that Lucas later transported the dog’s body to Maine, where he buried it.
A not guilty plea has been entered on Lucas’s behalf.
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