No Criminal Activity in Shooting of Pet Malamute on Lolo Pass

The Missoula County sheriff's office has ended its investigation into the shooting of a malamute on Lolo Pass by a hunter who apparently mistook it for a wolf.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Paige Pavalone tells The Missoulian on Monday the agency passed the case over to the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. Both agencies earlier said they believed the case would be a criminal matter.

Layne Spence of Missoula said he was skiing with his three dogs on a quiet logging road Sunday afternoon when he heard a shot and saw his dog, Little Dave, fall down with a leg injury.

Spence says he screamed at the hunter to stop shooting and asked what he was doing. He says the man responded that he thought the dog was a wolf.

[via Missoulian]