March 29, 2024

Citations issued in dog shooting

Neighbor told police dog was coming toward him aggressively

One man and one woman have been cited in an Aug. 20 incident in which a dog was shot and killed.

Ronald J. Kollmann, 76, of Newton, was cited for discharging a weapon inside city limits, which is a simple misdemeanor. The charge stems from an incident in which Kollman shot and killed a bulldog that he said was moving toward him aggressively.

Sidney S. Zellmer, 26, also, of Newton, was cited as the owner of the dogs. She received four citations — one each for having no license for “Bam,” the dog who was killed, and another for a dog named “Foxy” — along with two citations for both dogs being at-large.

Bam, the bulldog, was shot and killed by Kollmann around 10:27 a.m. on Aug. 20 in the 600 block of West Third Street South, according to Newton Police reports.

A female called police with an “animal at-large” complaint, saying there were two dogs running loose in her yard. They were acting aggressively, and would not let her out of her house, she said.

Before police could arrive, the reporting party called back and said she believed a neighbor had shot one of the dogs.

When police arrived, they saw Kollmann dragging the bulldog into his garage, and the dog was clearly deceased. Kollman told police the bulldog was running at him in his backyard, and he shot it with his “.22 short.”

Kollmann told police he was in fear, due to the aggressive nature of the dog.

During the investigation the owner of the dogs, Zellmer, of Newton, was located, and the officer discovered the dogs were not licensed, as required by Newton City Ordinance.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com