On Tuesday afternoon, a graphic photo showing two dead dogs was posted on the Facebook page of volunteer firefighter Tim Conatser, according to the Dallas Morning News. The photo, which quickly went viral and drew international outrage, came with the caption, "Somebody didn’t put any truth my warning. Keep your damn dogs on your property."
The Facebook post has since been taken down.
Police say the dogs' bullet-riddled bodies were discovered in southwest Hunt County, though they wouldn't specify where due to the ongoing investigation, CBS-DFW reports.
A family friend told the station that Conatser was angry because the dogs were attacking his livestock.
"So he went over to his neighbor’s and told him that his dogs was getting in his barn and attacking his animals, to please ya know keep ‘em at home, put ‘em on a leash, build a fence, do something," said Kevin Forester.
Conatser was suspended from his position at the Union Valley Volunteer Fire Department after the photo started going viral on Wednesday. Chief Edward Ragsdale said he "can't be responsible for [a volunteer's] actions when he's off duty," but noted that the station has been bombarded with angry messages -- and even death threats -- from all over the world.
Hunt County Constable Terry Jones launched a criminal probe into the Facebook post, NBC-DFW reports. Jones said he didn't know who owned the dogs and added that nobody has filed a complaint.
There's a Texas statute that allows property owners to kill dogs or coyotes that attack livestock or domestic animals, according to CBS-DFW.
The Huffington Post has reached out to Conatser, but has not received a response. It's unclear whether he'll be charged.
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