A Lehighton man pleaded guilty in Carbon County court to a count
of cruelty to animals admitting he beat to death a dog with a
shovel.  Randy Earl Miller, 21, entered the plea before Judge
Joseph J. Matika on Tuesday.  The case has a long history dating
back to March 24, 2006, when state police at Lehighton arrested
Miller for an incident in Weissport.  Miller was observed by
several juveniles walking a pit bull/chow mix dog into nearby
woods with a shovel in his hand. The juveniles got suspicious
and followed Miller. They saw him hit the dog with the shovel
several times. When the dog went down he then shot it with a
pistol.  After killing the dog Miller threatened to kill the
juveniles if they told anyone what they saw. The juveniles
notified troopers.  Miller did not admit to shooting the dog but
did admit hitting and killing it with the shovel.  He told
troopers his girlfriend, Wendy Collen Kneller, now referred to
as Wendy Miller, told him to kill the dog because it allegedly
bit her young child.  The ca