An East Moline man faces criminal charges after he allegedly shot and killed a dog and then dumped the animal’s body in a creek near Aledo.

Police said an Australian Shepherd-mix dog got loose from a tie-out chain at a home in the 2000 block of 6^th Street Court.

The dog reportedly charged Michael Coulter, 44, and his dogs at Coulter’s East Moline home, about a block from where the dog got loose.  Coulter’s dogs fought with the loose dog.

Police said Coulter was about 140 feet from the loose dog when he used a 12-gauge shotgun to fire a single shot at the animal near the intersection of 21^st Avenue and 6^th Street Court.  The dog’s owner told police she heard the gunshot at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, February 14, 2013.

The dog died instantly.

MOLINE, Ill.--Each year, more than 5 million people learn how to save a life in American Red Cross training classes and people in the Quad Cities can join the ranks of these everyday heroes by taking a class now.

The First Aid and CPR/AED course teaches people how to perform CPR and use an AED, what to do if someone is choking, and how to prevent and respond to other emergencies until advanced medical help arrives. Course participants also learn how to control bleeding as well as how to care for seizures and other sudden illnesses.

The American Red Cross is offering the following courses: