A classic country feud.

The Castles and the Shrocks are two families that love the country life in rural Indiana. The Castles are dog lovers. "I live out here so my animals don’t have to be tied," says Pam Castle. The Shrocks, by contrast, enjoy the freedom to shoot anything that wanders into their yard. These liberties were enjoyed in harmony until recently, when Larry Shrock shot and incinerated the Castles' beagle. Shrock alleges that the beagle was going after his pet bunnies, and that it scared his granddaughter. “My wife and I fear for our lives, so we don’t want to comment,” Larry Shrock said.

The Castles did not appreciate having their dog shot. So they put up a large sign calling Larry Shrock "a piece of shit." Shrock responded with his own sign, and so on. There is now a sequence of signs lining a nearby rural highway, reading:

(Castles:) My neighbor, Larry Shrock (house on left, up on hill) shot my dog, then burned it. What a piece of shit.

(Shrock:) My neighbor's dog killed my pet bunnies scared my grandaughter. I warned him twice.

(Castles:) Grandkid? That was not mentioned in police report. No rabbitts were harmed Larry. You shot my dog Jake and threw him in an incinerator. Worthless lowlife scum.

(Castles:) Mowrey Road dog killer ahead on left. 2 shot and killed. 1 burned. [Evidently Shrock has been accused of shooting a second neighbor's dog]

While I think there is some hilarity to these signs, it is still a sad story. No one should shoot a beagle. Larry Shrock really is a piece of shit. Unless there is an imminent safety threat, shooting someone else's dog should be considered a criminal act. It wasn't like some vicious pit bull or giant Rottweiler. There seem to be a lot of rediculously dog-phobic people. I've seen people (full-grown adults) look terrified at the sight of Kitty. I have a hard time imagining how a prancing, toddler-sized, fan-tailed animated stuffed-animal with bows in her hair who loves peanuts and plush toys can inspire terror.