ST. GEORGE —Two individuals have been officially charged in connection with the March shooting of two adult dogs and four puppies in Colorado City, Arizona.
Anita Mortensen, public information specialist for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, said those charged include Julia Jessop, 38, of Colorado City, who was identified as the owner of the dogs but advised that she had turned over ownership of the six dogs to a relative.
The relative, identified as George Russell Cooke, 51, of Colorado City, was named as the subject who shot the six dogs, with one dog surviving the incident with severe injuries.
The charges, which stem from an animal cruelty case that occurred in Colorado City on March 13, have been filed and submitted to the Mohave County Attorney’s Office.
Cooke was charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty and four counts of criminal misdemeanor animal cruelty. Jessop was charged with animal mistreatment, dog at large and no dog license – all misdemeanors.
The sole survivor Vinny, who is estimated to be 4 years old, is now in the full care of the RSQ Shelter in St. George. RSQ Utah’s lead volunteer Jennifer Hare said RSQ was granted official custody of Vinny on April 5.
“He is doing great in his foster home and only has a small bandage at this point,” Hare said via text message to St. George News. “He still has a lot of healing to do but we would love to find his fur-ever home.”
Hare said Vinny will be officially up for adoption next week. He is great with other dogs and extremely interested in cats and other small animals. He loves going on walks and is treat-motivated.
Vinny will make an appearance at an RSQ open house this Thursday, April 13, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at 1838 W. 1020 N. Contact RSQ on Instagram or Facebook for more information.
“We thank RSQ for their assistance and commitment to Vinny’s well-being,” Mortensen said.
This report is based on statements from police and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo Gallery
Sole survivor Vinny recovers from multiple surgeries after being shot with a shotgun in March 2023, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Sole survivor Vinny recovers from multiple surgeries after being shot with a shotgun in March 2023, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Sole survivor Vinny recovers from multiple surgeries after being shot with a shotgun in March 2023, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.