Dog shot by hunters
Brodheadsville, PA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Nov 28, 2006
County: Monroe
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
A romp in the woods turned deadly for a beloved family pet on the afternoon of Nov 28.
Three hunters shot Max, a 2-year-old Rottweiler, near his family's barn just off Route 209 east of Brodheadsville.
Owner Tory Warner heard a shot followed by a yelp from her dog. Two more shots were fired as she ran up the dirt road from the barn. Warner found the dog bloodied but still breathing in the middle of the road. She saw the hunters heading for their vehicles.
"I went chasing after them. I was screaming at them," said Warner, still distraught over the shooting.
Max was so badly injured - shot in the head, shoulder and stomach - that he was euthanized at Brodheadsville Veterinary Clinic.
The shooting is a grim warning for families who let pets roam in the woods. State police told Warner they will not file charges because the dog was not tied.
Warner said Max was kept leashed unless she was outside with him.
Neighbor Rob Sawada, who lives next to Warner's property, said Max was a friendly dog who would run up the hill to play with Sawada's three children.
"He was always welcome," Sawada said Thursday. "He wasn't a mean dog."
Warner said the hunters told her they didn't know if Max was going to bite them or lick them.
"I think what they're saying is a bunch of crap," said Sawada. "I guess some hunters think if there's a dog in the area and it's chasing their deer - shoot it."
Sawada said the hunters were on his property when the shooting occurred. The land is posted with yellow signs, and Sawada expects hunters to ask for permission to venture there.
"There won't be any more hunting here. Not even people I know," Sawada said.
Warner, wearing a blaze orange coat, said she'll keep vigil at her barn because she fears for the safety of her other animals: two dogs, five cats and two horses.
"It's like they don't care that it's private property," she said. "Our place is posted like crazy. I ran hunters off the property yesterday Wednesday."
"I'm a hunter, a respectful hunter. I started hunting when I was 16 and got a deer just about every year," she said. "These hunters shot him for the fun of it. There was no reason."
The state game warden who is investigating the shooting could not be reached for comment Thursday. References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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