New Hampshire man charged with fatally shooting his dog inside kennel after it bit 4-year-old

ROCHESTER, N.H. – Police say a New Hampshire man stuck his dog in a kennel and shot it dead with a hunting rifle after it bit a 4-year-old boy.

Foster's Daily Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/1KeDnBt ) the boy was playing with the pit bull in a Rochester apartment Monday night when he was bitten on top of the head.

Police say 33-year-old owner Lee Thurston then killed the dog. The boy was examined by first responders but wasn't hospitalized.

Thurston was charged with felony counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to animals and a violation of unauthorized use of a firearm.

A phone number in his name was out of service Tuesday, and it's unclear whether he has a lawyer.

He is out on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court April 20.