Dog shot with pellet gun, left to die Oro Valley, AZ (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jan 1, 2010 County: Pima
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD), in cooperation with the Animal Cruelty Taskforce of Southern Arizona, is requesting the public's help in identifying suspect(s) in a shooting case on a small dog. OVPD responded to a private residence in the 10700 block of N. Sand Canyon Place on January 1st after a pet-sitter called 911 to report that the family dog was lying semi-conscious in a pile of his own excrement. Investigators believe that the dog was shot sometime the previous night, New Year's eve, December 31st, 2009. The dog was transported for emergency medical care and a projectile was removed from his spinal cord. The projectile had subsequently passed through the dog's small intestine and pancreas. OVPD detectives stated that the weapon used was a pellet gun.
The dog was an older animal and had previously survived a bout of cancer. The animal is currently hospitalized in stable condition.
The use of pneumatic weapons such as pellet, bb and paintball guns are strictly regulated and may never be used on an animal, even for the purposes of hunting. Individuals who perpetrate such shootings on animals, either wild or domesticated, may be charged with a felony under Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2910 and could face up to a year in a state penitentiary.
OVPD and ACT are asking members of the public who may have information about this case to contact 88-CRIME (882-7463), an anonymous tip-line run by the Pima County Attorney's Office. Tipsters have three options for reporting related information anonymously:
- Talk: (520) 882-7463. (Collect calls accepted.)
- Text: 274637, enter "Tip 259" plus text message
- Type: www.88crime.org
Tipsters need not identify themselves and no calls are recorded or traced. Tipsters should reference the "Oro Valley dog shooting" or OVPD case number V10010020. Any tipster who supplies information leading to the arrest and indictment in this case may be eligible for up to $1000 in reward money.
The dog's owner is offering a private reward of $500 as well for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.
Additional information on animal cruelty issues can be found online at www.act-az.org. If you have information on this case, please contact: (520) 882-7463
Case UpdatesWinchester, the small Oro Valley cancer-surviving dog that was found semi-conscious and lying in a pool of his own feces on New Year's Day, died Thursday after fighting off death for about two weeks.
Winchester went missing on New Year's Eve and was found by a dog-sitter in his owner's yard the next day, shot, and barely clinging to life.
A pellet had gone through the dog's small intestine and pancreas, lodging itself in his spinal cord. Winchester was taken to an animal hospital, treated, and said to be in stable condition following the incident -- but he took a turn for the worse and died.
Police haven't made an arrest in the case, nor do they have a suspect, but an investigation is under way by authorities and members of the Animal Cruelty Task Force. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call authorities or enter the info online at www.88crime.com. | Source: Phoenix New-Times - Jan 18, 2010 Update posted on Jan 18, 2010 - 10:19PM |
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