Husky is shot dead in front of its horrified owners by a Russian hunter who claimed the dog had chased off a goose he was stalking

• Irate hunter Oleg Potapov claimed the husky had ‘stolen’ his wild goose prey
• He threatened to shoot dog-owner Ekaterina Mokhrova and her friend Marina 
• Then Potapov was caught on camera gunning down Archie with three shots

Archie (pictured) was shot by a Russian hunter  

A husky dog was gunned down in front of its owner after a wild goose chase in an animal cruelty case which has caused outrage in Russia.

Blue-eyed pet Archie was on a walk with his owner when the dog vanished for a few minutes.

Irate hunter Oleg Potapov, 41, then appeared claiming the husky had ‘stolen’ his wild goose prey from a flooded former quarry in Chelyabinsk.  

Dog-owner Ekaterina Mokhrova and her friend Marina Matveicheva froze as the hunter shouted: ‘Not a step closer or I shoot you.’

Then Potapov was caught on camera gunning down Archie with three shots as one of the women filmed the macabre scene. 

Hunter Oleg Potapov, 41, claimed the husky had ‘stolen’ his wild goose prey from a flooded former quarry in Chelyabinsk

Potapov was caught on camera gunning down Archie with three shots as one of the women filmed the macabre scene

After Archie was shot three times he died. Potapov, who then fled, was later detained cowering in a toilet

Ekaterina took Archie’s body from the water and the women called the police to report the incident

Potapov, who then fled, was later detained cowering in a toilet after the women reported the brutal shooting to police.

He now faces up to three years in jail amid an outcry over the incident and a call to toughen Russia’s animal cruelty laws, say reports.

Prominent Russian vet Karen Dallakyan said the man should face action for brandishing a gun close to a residential area as well as the ‘very cruel’ shooting of Archie.

‘Husky dogs never show aggression….this killer should never pick up weapons again,’ he said.

MP Vladimir Burmatov called for other charges to be made against the man over the shooting and threats to the women.

‘He tried to hide in the toilet,’ he said. 

‘After he was found by security guards, he tried to escape, but was caught and disarmed…

‘The killer must be punished.’

Potapov told police that he was attacked by the dog before shooting him, but animal rights campaigners stress the video makes clear the dog showed no aggression to the hunter.’

Shooting geese is illegal at this time of year.

Pictured: Ekaterina Mokhrova and her husky Archie. Prominent Russian vet Karen Dallakyan said that Husky dogs never show aggression

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