A Chatfield man is facing two felony animal cruelty charges and two gross misdemeanor property damage charges after allegedly shooting and killing two neighbor dogs, according to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County District Court.
Craig Allen Reichel, 67, has been charged with two felony counts of mistreatment of animals resulting in death and two gross misdemeanor counts of third-degree property damage. The charges stem from an incident reported January 6, 2026, in Olmsted County.
According to the complaint, an Olmsted County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched after a man reported that his two dogs had gone missing the previous evening. The dogs, a white Great Pyrenees named Bertha and a Goldendoodle named Sadie, had left the property at about 7:30 p.m.
When the dogs did not return, the owner contacted a neighbor for help searching. During that search, the neighbor saw a blood trail near a deer carcass pile on Reichel’s property. Following the trail led to Bertha, who had been shot and killed. At that point, Sadie was still missing.
Investigators later contacted Reichel by phone. According to the complaint, he admitted to shooting both dogs at about 8 p.m. that night, telling authorities he believed they were chasing deer and threatening his own dogs. The complaint also states that Reichel later clarified that his dogs were not outside at the time of the shooting.
Reichel later met with law enforcement and showed them a creek on his property, where he said he had dragged and disposed of the Goldendoodle’s body. He also told investigators the dog had been wearing a sweater that came off while he was moving it and that he discarded it. Officers were unable to locate the garment.
Authorities also reviewed images from a trail camera positioned near the carcass pile. According to the complaint, the images showed the dogs standing near the site and did not show them chasing deer or behaving aggressively.
The dog owner later told investigators that the Great Pyrenees had ongoing hip problems and would not have been able to run for more than a short distance. The owner also stated that Reichel was familiar with the dogs, as they were frequently outside and visible near his property.
The complaint states that each dog had a value of more than $500, which forms the basis for the two gross misdemeanor property damage counts.
Court records indicate Reichel has been summoned to appear for a first appearance hearing on April 1, 2026, at the Olmsted County Government Center in Rochester.
In a separate filing, the judge originally assigned to the case recused herself. An order filed March 18 states that District Court Judge Kathy M. Wallace stepped aside and that future hearings will be scheduled before a different judge.
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