John Carl of Mesa Verde Street told police he didn't like his neighbor's dogs barking. But the way he dealt with the annoyance Saturday morning landed him in jail with two felony charges.

According to a Santa Fe police report, at about 8:30 a.m. Carl got an air rifle pellet gun and shot two dogs belonging to a neighbor across the street, José Sanchez.

And then he drove away.

One dog, Heidi, a schnauzer, was not seriously injured, Sanchez said in an interview. However, his other pet, Tiny, a Pomeranian, had to undergo surgery. "We're not sure now if he's going to make it," Sanchez said.

Sanchez said he made sure that his granddaughter, who was at his home, was safe inside. Then he called the police.

Carl, 47, didn't make it very far before police found him. He was arrested on two charges of cruelty to animals as well as driving while intoxicated and driving without a license. He remained at the Santa Fe County Detention Center, where bond had not yet been set as of Saturday night.

Under state law, cruelty to animals becomes a fourth-degree felony when a person "intentionally or maliciously" injures or kills an animal. Carl could get up to three years in prison if found guilty of both charges.

Was this an ongoing neighborhood dispute that turned violent?

According to Sanchez, it was not. "I'd never met him before," he said of Carl, who moved to Mesa Verde Street about six months ago, Sanchez said.

"If he'd have told me the dogs were bothering him, I'd have put them in the back yard," Sanchez said.

Both pets, he said, were "rescue dogs." One was found by his daughter, and the other was given to his son. Sanchez said he didn't know the age of either animal.

According to court records, Carl never has been charged with a violent felony in New Mexico. He had a prior DWI arrest in 2007. However, that case was dismissed by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Banner.

He was convicted in 1999 of a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property and was ordered to pay fines and court fees totaling $100.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.