A 27-year-old Thurston County man accused of killing someone's dog and throwing it in the Nisqually River is out on a $50,000 bond.
Zachary Tighe Dickinson posted bail on Thursday, the same day he attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court. Deputies arrested him Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree animal cruelty and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The alleged killing occurred at a home on Conine Avenue Southeast in the Nisqually Valley area Oct. 16. Court records reveal new and grisly details about the investigation into the untimely death of the dog, who was named Rocky.
The Sheriff's Office alleges Dickinson slit Rocky's throat, shot him and rolled him down an embankment towards the Nisqually River, according to a Facebook post. Deputies recovered the dead dog from the riverbank and found Dickinson two days later after "numerous follow-ups," the post says.
Judge John Skinder found probable cause for the alleged crimes Thursday and set the bail amount. In doing so, he found Dickinson may commit a violent crime or interfere with the case if released without conditions.
Court records from Grays Harbor Superior Court indicate Dickinson was convicted for third-degree rape of a child, a felony, in 2019. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
A probable cause statement signed by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Randy Trick describes the investigation into the killing from the perspective of law enforcement.
A deputy responded to the home on Conine Avenue at about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 for a "weapons violation domestic violence call," according to the statement.
The deputy contacted two witnesses at the scene, including Rocky's owner. They identified Dickinson as the one who shot Rocky and said he was the boyfriend of another resident.
The witnesses told the deputy that Dickinson called the dogs to eat. Rocky answered but another dog did not. A moment later, they allegedly heard Rocky cry out in pain.
They ran downstairs and allegedly saw Rocky clawing at the door and covered in blood. They also alleged they saw Dickinson come inside while holding a knife and covered in blood as well, according to the statement.
Dickinson allegedly yelled something about "knowing that was going to happen," per the statement. The witnesses told the deputy that Dickinson believed Rocky was eating meat from a deer he had hunted and hung in the backyard.
From there, Dickinson allegedly retrieved a firearm and fired a shot. Neither of the witnesses saw the gun, but the statement says they heard the gunshot.
The deputy found a trail of blood at the residence that led to the Nisqually River behind the property, per the statement. He found the dog down a steep embankment and called Animal Services.
A member of the Sheriff's Office Dive Rescue Team recovered Rocky's body. Based on what they observed, they believed Rocky had been thrown into River while still alive and he swam onto a rock before succumbing to his wounds.
Rocky's throat had been cut and he had a stab wound in his side, according to the statement. Animal Services took the dog for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
"The report from the necropsy will confirm that manner of death includes knife wounds among others and will show that Rocky suffered and that his killing shows an extreme indifference to his life," the statement says.
Dickinson is due back in court on Oct. 31 for his arraignment hearing.
