Politics killed Trump the dog?

NEW YORK: Sadly, it wasn’t this dog’s day on Sunday. In Minnesota’s Jackson County, a dog named Donald Trump was killed and on social media, rumours ran rife that the canine’s death was because of political rivalry.

The dog’s owner, Randal Thom, is reportedly an avid supporter of US President Donald Trump and has been featured in several news stories for attending his rallies. According to some on social media, a Democrat neighbour, deliberately killed the dog. However, a Minnesota sheriff said the dog named Donald Trump wasn't shot and killed over a political rivalry, despite false claims circulating on social media that have spurred “violent threats” against some county residents.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office concluded the person who shot Donald Trump the dog on Sunday was “legally protecting their livestock” on private property. The shooter has not been identified.

“Facts have been misrepresented on social media sites,” Sheriff Shawn Haken's office said in a statement about the dog’s death. “Unfortunately, people are now posting multiple threats of violence towards citizens in the area and justifying the threats based on these inaccurate posts on social media.”

Neighbours have lodged 14 complaints about Thom’s dogs running loose, killing animals and attacking a person, according to the sheriff. Thom was convicted on a petty misdemeanour of “dogs and cats at large” in 2015, according to Minnesota court records. He could not be reached for comment. Jackson County is 257 kms south of Minneapolis.