Tahlequah Teen Will Not Be Charged In Death Of Pit Bull

Prosecutors in Cherokee County say there is not enough evidence to charge a teen with a crime, after a post on Facebook, a picture of a dead pit bull with an arrow sticking out of it, went viral.

The screen grab that was shared repeatedly on the site, apparently taken from the teen's cell phone, stated: "For all you Pit lovers out there. Here's what happens when one shows up around my house."

The posting prompted outcry from animal lovers on the Internet and led to the teen, Caisen Green, receiving threats.

2/16/2013 Related Story: Tahlequah Teen's Alleged Dog Killing Post Goes Viral

The Sheriff's Office received calls about the incident "from not only concerned people in Cherokee County and the State of Oklahoma but all across the United States and several foreign countries," Undersheriff Jason Chennault said in a news release last month.

Assistant District Attorney Jack Thorp said Green claimed he was practicing archery in his yard when two stray dogs came up to him. He said the pit bull snarled and charged at him when he tried to shoo it away, so he shot it with an arrow, in defense of himself and his younger siblings.

Thorp said there was no evidence that, that wasn't what happened and "not nearly enough" evidence to support an animal cruelty charge.

In a letter to the Undersheriff, Thorp said Green's father said the dog appeared to have been diseased, and that he burned and buried the animal on his property. But based on the photo posted on Facebook, Thorp said an expert confirmed that the wounds were reasonably consistent with Green's claim that he shot the dog once behind the left shoulder.

Read ADA Jack Thorp's Letter To Undersheriff Jason Chennault