Why would the police charge someone with animal cruelty when his actions are not animal cruelty?

I challenge anyone to logically explain to me why FACT looks like F  ACT when I know that I typed FACT. 

In some places that is defined on the books as an act of cruelty.   Without knowing the specifics of the locale, the universal truth is that the police are tasked with enforcing whatever the written law says.     Now that he is charged it is up to the courts and jury to find if he breeched any of the laws as written.  
It's worth noting that the dog was discovered by a passer by who noticed the dead dogs paw protruding from the beach sand.   Which suggest the owner didn't really do much in properly disposing or burying the beloved pet.   That little nugget brings a lot of questioning to this story and is in itself somewhat suspicious.

It could be that he did so in an area were shooting your dog is always illegal on abuse claims or it could be that the case was deemed shady and worthy of a court hearing considering it seems that he just threw some sand over the body and left it there.

There's something not quite right with this man's story.  He didn't go ahead and euthanize the dog when the vet recommended it before the dog was suffering too much he waited until the dog was dying and then he did what he says was the only option then he didn't bury her in the backyard or a pet cemetery he buried her in the beach where she was probably going to be washed up by the tide.  I've never heard of anyone burying their beloved pet on a beach.

I've had to euthanize pets, it's a horrible, horrible decision but done by a vet they just slip away in less than a minute.  The idea is to not wait until the animal is gasping before humanely ending their life, I don't believe this dog just suddenly collapsed she must have been steadily getting worse and how did he know she was going to choke in 30 minutes?

This certainly should be investigated.

Well,  it's surely possible that the man shot his dog as an act of mercy, and I do not blame him for not "euthanizing" Allie just when or because the veterinarian recommended it.   

I know that Virginia Beach is a very populated area, and has been for a long time. Only someone incapable of logical thinking, would shoot their dog and bury her on a beach there. I think Whalen's story sounds rather odd, too. He has a lawyer.....perhaps he'll be acquitted of the charges.