By Jessica Keller, The Courier-Herald

Animal cruelty charges are expected to be filed against two Wilkeson residents suspected of killing a dog with a bow and arrow.

The two young men, 18 and 20, one of whom is the mayor's son, are suspected of tying the dog to a tree near Wilkeson Elementary School March 8 after the dog would not leave the yard of one of the suspects, Town Marshall Jim Osborn said. The young men are then said to have shot the dog, a middle-aged husky mix, five or six times using a bow and arrows until the dog died. They are then suspected of throwing the body into a nearby creek.

Osborn said somebody apparently saw the young men in the act and called town police, and an officer spoke to the young men and obtained their confessions. The dog, however, was dead by the time police arrived. As of last week, the dog's owner had not been located.

Osborn said the two were cooperating with police and charges of first-degree animal cruelty, which is a felony, were expected to be filed. A person can be charged with first-degree animal cruelty if suspected of intentionally killing, hurting or inflicting undue pain on an animal.

The maximum punishment the pair can face with those charges is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

This is the first animal cruelty case Wilkeson has seen in a long time, Osborn said.

While Wilkeson police have spoken to the two men before, Osborn said they haven't spoken to them about anything that would lead to this or indicate this would happen.

A Humane Society of Tacoma investigator has offered to help with the investigation as Wilkeson contracts with the Humane Society for animal control services.

Jessica Keller can be reached at jkeller@courierherald.com