Marin County Man Charged With Animal Cruelty

TIBURON, CA -- A Marin County man faces two counts of animal cruelty after he allegedly killed two deer in his backyard last September. The Marin Independent Journal reported Mark Dickinson, 54, of Tiburon, faces a total of seven counts, two of which for animal cruelty.

"The other counts, which are alleged violations of the fish and game code, include the unlawful 'taking of a mammal;' deer hunting without a license; discharging a deadly weapon near a building; using lead ammunition for game; and taking mammals at an unlawful time, i.e. half an hour before sunrise," the Journal reported.

Dickinson allegedly shot the deer with a pellet gun because they were eating bushes on his property, said Tiburon police Sgt. Steve Hahn in September after the incident.

"He said he was sick of the deer eating his expensive landscaping," Hahn said.

The deer were found near Dickinson's property, though Hahn said it was unclear whether the deer were shot on the property and then ran, or whether they were first chased off the property and then shot.

Hunting is illegal in Tiburon. It is illegal to shoot deer or other wildlife outside of designated hunting areas and without proper permits, officials said.

The incident grew outrage among Marin County residents, which forced Dickinson to move out of California, the Journal reported.

--Patch reporter Kristina Houck contributed to this report

Image via United States Department of Agriculture (Not the deer mentioned in the story.)