PETITION TARGET: New Hanover County District Attorney Benjamin R. David
UPDATE (8/22/2022): Alex Christian Hollinger pleaded guilty during a 2-day bench trial in which he represented himself. He was convicted of two counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and sentenced to 36 months probation, 24 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $2,340.96 in restitution, according to the Star News. Probation is not a fitting sentence for an act of intentional and fatal animal cruelty. We thank everyone who signed our petition, and we’ll continue to do all we can for animals. — Lady Freethinker Staff
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Three-year-old boxer mix Gibson was in his own yard in New Hanover County, North Carolina, when a neighbor reportedly shot the helpless animal multiple times with a BB gun, according to WECT News.
Gibson’s family said they arrived home to find their defenseless dog bleeding profusely, in pain, and fighting for his life. They rushed him to emergency care, but vets deemed that he couldn’t be saved and put him down hours later.
Several of the BB’s found inside of Gibson had been in his body for months, meaning the dog was shot repeatedly over time, according to the the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
Gibson wasn’t just a pet; he was a cherished member of his grieving family. One of Gibson’s guardians, Caleb Hyatt, referred to the dog as his “son.”
The family’s neighbor, Alex Christian Hollinger, confessed to the horrific crime and was charged with four counts of animal cruelty. He claims he shot the dog for barking.
Sign this petition urging New Hanover County District Attorney Benjamin R. David to prosecute Hollinger to the fullest extent of the law and to call for a lifetime ban on him ever having an animal of his own.
