Horse shot in the head
Fergus Falls, MN (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Nov 27, 2008
County: Otter Tail
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
A Dunn Township man says he believes his quarter horse was intentionally shot Thanksgiving evening.
Charles Kohlmeyer's daughter, JoAnna, discovered a gunshot wound in the head of one of the family's horses Friday afternoon after Otter Tail County authorities alerted them to a report of a possible injury.
The wounded horse, a "cow pony" named Dan, was blinded and stumbling in the family's pasture off of County Road 31 and U.S. Highway 59. JoAnna Kohlmeyer used her voice to lead him to a barn, her father said.
An Alexandria veterinarian diagnosed the horse's condition Friday night.
"He examined the wound and gave us the statement that it was a bullet wound," Charles Kohlmeyer said.
The shooting is believed to have occurred Thursday evening, sometime after Kohlmeyer last saw the horse at 2 p.m. Det. John Karger said he believes it was an isolated incident.
The horse was euthanized within hours of the diagnosis.
The loss has left the family devastated and Kohlmeyer offering $500 for the arrest of whoever is responsible.
"It's kind of like losing a son," he said. "Yes, it's an animal, but you hug him, you feed him, you take care of him everyday."
The family is accustomed to hearing gunshots near their property, which Kohlmeyer attributes to poachers or target shooters. He does not know who shot his horse or why, but says he believes it was intentional.
The Kohlmeyers' three other horses are now nestled in a back pasture among rolling hills.
If nothing else, Kohlmeyer said he hopes the incident will make fellow horse owners more aware of their animals' safety.
"I don't have a lot of hope that we're going to catch this guy," he said. "I just hope it doesn't happen to somebody else." References
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