Clinton County man pleads guilty to felony for shooting neighbor’s Siberian husky

A Clinton County man who originally told sheriff’s deputies that he shot and killed a neighbor’s dog in self defense has pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to an animal, a Class 4 felony.

Dale E. Litteken, 62, of Aviston, will spend five weekends in jail, serve 18 months of probation, pay a $1,000 fine plus fees and court costs and undergo a state-mandated psychiatric evaluation, according to his Belleville attorney, Cory Easton, and the Clinton County state’s attorney’s office.

“Dale wanted to put an end to it,” Easton said Wednesday morning after a hearing in Clinton County Circuit Court in Carlyle. “That’s why he pleaded guilty. He just wants to go on with his life.”

The dog, a Siberian husky named Trigger, was owned by the Timmons family, of rural Germantown. Hobie Timmons, 59, said he had expected the case to go to trial and was surprised that Litteken pleaded guilty.

“They had so much evidence against him,” Timmons said. “We had him. Now it’s going to civil court. We’ll see what happens.”

The shooting occurred Dec. 9, 2022, on property that Litteken owns in rural Germantown, between Aviston and Albers. He called the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and reported that he shot the dog because it had endangered his granddaughter’s safety.

The state’s attorney’s office charged Litteken on Jan. 13 with aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Timmons told authorities that 11-year-old Trigger, a frequent visitor to Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston, was gentle and friendly and that Litteken had told him and other people that he planned to kill the dog if he saw it on his property again.

“Clinton County sheriff’s department did an awesome job (of investigating the case),” Timmons said. “Praise goes out to them. Everyone at the state’s attorney’s office, they were with me. The whole county, as a matter of fact, the whole country was with me.”

Timmons had demanded justice in Facebook posts, including photos of Trigger lying dead on a truck tailgate. That resulted in supportive comments from people all over the United States.

A person convicted of a Class 4 felony can be sentenced to one to three years in prison. The state’s attorney’s office negotiated the terms of Litteken’s plea deal, requiring only five weekends in jail, and Associate Judge Douglas Gruenke accepted them.

“Our goal is always to obtain justice,” State’s Attorney J.D. Brandmeyer said. “That’s what we try to do in every case, including this one.”

Timmons said he was happy with the plea agreement because Litteken can no longer legally possess guns. Under Illinois law, most convicted felons aren’t eligible for Firearm Owner’s Identification Cards.

Litteken won’t be commenting on the case, according to his attorney.

“I think Dale would have had a good shot to win at trial,” Easton said. “But he wanted to move on, and he thought (a guilty plea) was in the best interest of him and his family.”

It was a mail carrier who called the Timmons family on Dec. 9, 2022, to let them know that Trigger was hurt and lying in their yard. The dog had made its way home, despite an estimated 100 shotgun pellets in its body.

Hobie Timmons’ son, Brent Timmons, drove to the house, put the dog on a board and rushed it to a Breese veterinary clinic, where it died.

Hobie Timmons attended the court hearing on Wednesday.

“(Litteken) was as nervous as could be,” he said. “I just stared at him the whole time. I didn’t talk to him. I didn’t want any drama.”

The Timmons family had to “put down” their other dog, a 10-year-old Saint Bernard named Raven, due to medical problems the same weekend that Trigger was killed, according to Hobie Timmons. Someone later gave them a silver Labrador retriever that they named “Bullet.”