Harwood man sentenced in animal cruelty case for shooting puppy

Robert Anthony Harley, 71, who was convicted earlier this year on one charge of animal cruelty in the case of Maisie, an 11-month-old Belgian Malinois who was believed to be shot, was sentenced Tuesday to six months of supervised probation.

Harley also was ordered to take a state hunter safety course, and to complete 50 hours of community service during his probation. After the six months, he will have to complete two-and-a-half years of unsupervised probation.

At his May trial, Harley was found not guilty of aggravated cruelty to an animal but guilty of animal cruelty. The misdemeanor conviction carried a possible prison sentence of 90 days and up to a $1,000 fine.

Isabelle Ferraro, the prosecutor in the case, did not ask for any jail time. Ferraro asked for $1,100 in restitution for Maisie’s owner, Shannon Smith-Wood. Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Mark Crooks said he would rule on restitution after further discussions between the state and defense.

The case stemmed from the apparent shooting and killing of Maisie in April 2025.

Harley was charged in May 2025, weeks after a video that prosecutors said shows Maisie in the woods near Harley’s house went viral.

The prosecution played the video multiple times during Harley’s jury trial earlier this year.

In the video, shot from a truck, an animal can be seen through foliage, and Harley’s daughter-in-law Patricia Harley can be heard arguing with her children whether the animal is a dog.

The video shows a man in the truck, Harley’s son, calling his father.

“Hey, there’s a coyote out here. Pop, where the shotty at, man? I’m gonna drop him,” says Anthony “Tony” Harley Jr.

The vehicle reverses as Patricia Harley keeps the camera fixed on the animal.

“He’s definitely not afraid of us. He’s not running. He’s curious,” Tony Harley says. “Which is the sketchy part.”

The video stops before the elder Harley, who is outside the truck, approaches and shoots the animal.

Candace Harris, Harley’s attorney, argued that he had no way of knowing the animal was a dog. She said Harley had reason to believe there was a coyote near his property, so he acted to defend himself, his family and his animals — a rabbit and a dog.

Prior to sentencing, Harris argued the case should be retried and that Harley’s conviction should be set aside, citing what she called a lack of evidence presented at trial proving the animal who was shot was in fact Maisie.

The dog’s body was never found.

Crooks denied the motion, saying he was giving deference to the jury.

In court, Smith-Wood chose not to speak. Ferraro read a victim impact statement from her, in which she described Maisie as a loving companion who would walk up to complete strangers with a wagging tail.

In the letter, Smith-Wood said that since Maisie’s body was never recovered, her family did not have the chance to properly say goodbye.

“There is no closure in that,” she wrote.

The judge said he reviewed more than 30 letters written in support of Harley and speaking to his character, both as a devoted family man and a lover of animals — including dogs.

Crooks reiterated that he thought it was “ill-advised” for Harley to confront the animal that night, rather than get his family inside and call animal control.

“But I also recognize it was a protective instinct that kicked in,” Crooks said.

Harley spoke briefly during the sentencing. He said he and his wife have had “sleepless nights” in part because of the strong public reaction to the case, and said they just want to “get on with our life.”

State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess called Harley’s actions “reckless and unwarranted” in an emailed statement.

“I hope that in holding the defendant accountable, Maisie’s family will have some sense of peace,” she said.