The letter, inappropriately addressed to former county attorney David Yocum, asks the D.A.'s office to refer the case to the federal government so it can prosecute the man under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for shooting a robin earlier this year, said HSUS animal-cruelty expert Dale Bartlett.

"It appears that this is a pretty straightforward case of a guy shooting animals for no apparent reason," Bartlett said.

The man, who has already been charged in 3rd District Court with two class A misdemeanors of aggravated cruelty to animals, allegedly shot the robin and a neighbor's dog on May 20 when the dog apparently wandered onto the man's Kearns home property. The dog suffered injuries that were severe enough that it had to be euthanized, court documents state.

The wildlife arm of HSUS requested that the letter ask that the case be referred to federal prosecutors after hearing about the case in the media, Bartlett said.

The crime "constitutes illegal take of a federally protected species," the letter states.

Bartlett said HSUS sends about four letters a week to prosecutors around the country lending their support in animal-cruelty cases. He said this is one of the first where they have requested a federal prosecutor file charges under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

"It's rare," Bartlett said. "It's certainly the first time I've done it."

jbergreen@sltrib.com