Owner says she begged man to kill her, spare her dog

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1999 | 3:12 a.m.

A woman whose dog was shot and killed by a neighbor said she pleaded with the man to shoot her instead.

The Henderson Police Department is asking the Clark County District Attorney to file gross misdemeanor charges against John Stroz for maiming an animal and discharging a weapon.

The district attorney's office said Wednesday it would review the case against Stroz, a Clark County corrections officer, when the police report is received.

A woman who answered the phone at Stroz's home Wednesday said he would not comment on the incident.

The dog's owner, Judith Burns, said the incident began when she noticed her 3-year-old border collie, Rosie, had escaped from her backyard Monday.

She said she walked outside to bring the dog indoors when she saw Stroz, with his own dog on a leash.

She said her dog was being playful when he threatened to shoot the canine.

She said she pleaded with Stroz, "Don't shoot Rosie, shoot me instead."

Sheila Young, a neighbor, said she was watching from her window.

"I heard her just screaming, 'Don't shoot Rosie! Shoot me!' Sort of a bloodcurdling scream. And he was screaming, 'I'm going to kill the ... dog, I'm going to kill the ... dog.' "

Young said Burns was bent down and looked like she was holding the dog.

"All of a sudden he raised his arm and shot down, and I thought, 'Oh my God.' I didn't know which one he had shot," Young said.

Burns said the wounded dog turned and looked at her.

"It was like, I don't know, a look of shock," Burns said. "Then she started across the street to go home."

The dog ran across the street and died.

Young ran outside, she said, and yelled for anyone to call the police. "When I said that, he flew across the street and shoved his badge in my face and said, 'Lady, I am the police.' "

Before police arrived, Stroz placed "crime scene" tape around his driveway, Young said. When he finished, he sat outside on his lawn chair with his arms folded, she added.