Grass Valley man arrested for allegedly killing dog

Grass Valley, Calif. – Kevin Barber, 52, of Grass Valley, was arrested Nov. 4 after he allegedly shot and killed a dog on his property.

The first 911 call was received at the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) Regional Dispatch Center at 10:22 a.m. on November 4th. The witness reported seeing Barber shoot a dog with a shotgun on his property. It was later determined that the dog belonged to a neighbor in the community who was not associated with Barber or the 911 caller.

NCSO deputies responded to Barber’s residence in the 14000 block of Brooks Road. in the Grass Valley. Barber was not present when officers arrived as he had reportedly fled, but was soon intercepted on the road by NCSO animal control officers. NCSO deputies arrested Barber for §597(a) – Cruelty to Animals, which makes it a felony to intentionally mutilate, mutilate, torture, injure or kill a living animal. He was transported to the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility without incident.

Due to the nature of the alleged crime, NCSO deputies obtained a search warrant for Barber’s property that same day. A shotgun used in the reported shooting as well as one spent and one unspent shell casing were seized as evidence.

The investigation to date has found no evidence that Barber was under attack or was in immediate danger at the time of the shooting; The witness also noted that the dog was not behaving aggressively.

This case is still under investigation and all of the dog’s injuries have yet to be autopsied. Witnesses to the animal shooting are asked to come forward. Tips can be left anonymously online at or by phone at (530) 265-1471.