The accused was angry that the dog had allegedly bit his wife, and shot the animal with his licensed rifle on Wednesday night, an official said.

A man was arrested today in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore for allegedly shooting dead his neighbour’s pet dog, after it bit his wife, the police said.

Narendra Vishvaiyya, 53, was arrested under relevant section of the Indian penal Code for “mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc”, police officer Manish Mahor said.

The accused, a resident of Indore’s Sudama Nagar, was angry that the dog had allegedly bit his wife, and shot the animal with his licensed rifle on Wednesday night, the official said.

A bullet hit the animal on the neck, killing him on the spot, he said.

The accused claimed that the dog had also bit others in the locality, the official said, adding that if the accused’s claims are found to be true, appropriate legal action will be taken against the owner of the pet as well.