Animal control officer charged with killing 2 lost dogs

Samuel Vargo, 60, of Fallowfield Township is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

For the MVI

An animal control officer in Fayette County is accused of euthanizing two dogs that had gotten away from their owners by shooting them to death.

“We’re still trying to wrap our minds around it, how this could happen?” owner Lara Mickey told KDKA-TV, Lara Mickey is talking about her two dogs — a boxer and a husky, with the names Roxie and Luna.

According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a report of two dogs abandoned and tied to a pole on Sept. 5 at the Fort Mason Village Housing in Masontown, Fayette County.

Mickey told KDKA she left her two dogs, a boxer and a husky, to go to a high school football game. Mickey said she and her boyfriend were not aware that Roxie and Luna broke away from the property until they returned home at about 10 p.m.

Police said Samuel Vargo, 60, of Fallowfield Township was contacted that night. The criminal complaint says he’s the contracted animal control officer for Masontown. They allege Vargo unsuccessfully tried to scan the dogs, and he said the reader battery was dying.

The criminal complaint said one of the dogs was hesitant and fearful of the other, but that both dogs were not trying to “charge, attack, or pursue Vargo.”

“Both dogs were microchipped,” Mickey said.

The criminal complaint said police later found the dogs’ tags between their shoulder blades and that they were active. It also said the law states that Vargo is required to house unlicensed dogs for 48 hours.

“That is supposed to start once the kennels open on Monday,” Mickey said.

Police say Vargo admitted to not being a licensed kennel when the dogs needed to be taken to one. But they claim he admitted to taking them to his home.

Police said Vargo shot the two dogs to death the afternoon of Sept. 6, fewer than 24 hours after the dogs were first seized.

Police say Vargo was asked if he was going to shoot the dogs to euthanize them. They claim he said in the criminal complaint, “Well what am I going to do with them?” It said he went on to add, “You ain’t going to save every damn one.”

Vargo’s charges include aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and obstructing the administration of law or another government function.

Vargo is free on $10,000 unsecured bond.