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Man accused of killing neighbor's dog with sledgehammer

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A Phoenix family remained devastated Monday night after the death of their dog. A neighbor killed the animal the day before with a sledgehammer, according to a woman who identified herself as a witness.

Two cars hit Beau the pit bull Sunday evening, according to Jessica Headley.

Headley stopped to try to help Beau; the dog crawled back to its home. The owners weren’t home.

A neighbor brought over a sledgehammer, and hit the dog twice on her head, killing the animal, Headley said. The neighbor believed Beau was in pain and needed to be put down, Headley said. She pleaded with him to leave the dog alone, to no avail, she said.

Headley planned to take the dog to a veterinarian.

“[The] last thing [the dog] saw, some stranger with a sledgehammer, that's horrible," Headley said.

The man Headley and the family identified as the neighbor declined to comment.

Police went to the home Sunday night; as of Monday evening authorities said no one had been arrested or charged, and no citations were issued.

There are several 24-hour veterinarian offices in the Valley, and the Arizona Humane Society offers euthanasia services, with prices here.