CHARTIERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Two men who are on trial for shooting three Walker coon hounds earlier this month were arraigned in court on Tuesday.

Brothers Charles and Daniel Habe of Chartiers Township were arrested by police on May 5 after allegedly shooting the coon hounds when the hounds ran onto their property while chasing after a raccoon. The gunshots killed one of the hounds and left the two others seriously injured.

The brothers’ attorney, Bob Brady, tried to get the charges on Daniel Habe dropped, as he argues that Daniel had nothing to do with the actual shooting.

“Charlie clearly shot the dog because he couldn’t get them off their property,” Brady said.

While Daniel Habe’s charges were not dropped, both brothers did receive some fortunate news when their charges went from criminal to misdemeanors.

The owners of the two injured coon hounds are Gary Hoffman of Delmont and Donald Bell of Scenery Hill. The owner of the hound who was killed is Terry Marth of Houston.

The three men were training their coon hounds on property they had permission to be on, according to Chartiers Township police Sgt. Mike Filosi.

“Where they were training their dogs they had permission, but once they started chasing the raccoon, the coon and the dogs knew no bounds,” Filosi said. “They went on an adjacent farm and up a tree.”

Filosi also said the hounds were shot by Charles Habe with a .357 handgun and was ordered to do it by Daniel, who was at his home next door.

With Marth’s hound dead and the two others seriously injured, Marth and his attorney, Wayne McGrew, want the two brothers brought to justice.

“The shooting was completely unnecessary,” McGrew said.”