Case Details

3 year old dog shot in the face
Pasadena, MD (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Dec 24, 2005
County: Anne Arundel
Local Map: available
Disposition: Open
Case Images: 1 files available

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case ID: 6798
Classification: Shooting
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
View more cases in MD (US)
Animal was offleash or loose
Login to Watch this Case

In 2 and a half�years as the family dog, Zeus has been ridden like a pony, bitten by a toddler and forced to wear reindeer antlers. Then on December 24, 2005, someone shot the black Labrador in the face with a shotgun. Now recuperating from a five-hour emergency surgery the next day, he still has more than 40 pieces of bird shot embedded in his face, side and legs. "I just don't understand. It's the week of Christmas. Who shoots a dog the week of Christmas?" said Christina Pinnix, over her dog's whines. She said Zeus is "touch and go" for the next three weeks, but if he can avoid a major infection he should live. "Whoever did this was trying to kill my dog."

Police said they have a suspect - one of the Pinnixes' neighbors in the 8200 block of Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard of Pasadena - but no charges have been filed. She said an officer has told her that since no one actually saw Zeus get shot, she shouldn't expect too much. Lt. David Waltemeyer, a county police spokesman, said officers have not talked to the suspect yet and are still talking to neighbors, looking for witnesses. Of course, even a witness might not make a difference if Zeus was trespassing. Lt. Waltemeyer said that does not mean a property owner can just shoot any animal that steps onto his land, though. "We ask that if the animal poses no immediate threat, citizens go inside their home and call for an animal control officer if they believe the animal needs to be contained," he said. If one shoots first and calls later, he said, animal cruelty and firearm charges could be a possibility.

Mrs. Pinnix said Zeus was only outside for 20 minutes when he was shot. Typically an inside dog, he slipped out the front door around 11:30 a.m. while she and her husband, Steve, were doing some home-improvement work. Shortly before noon, she heard a shotgun blast, and a couple minutes later, Zeus came to the front door. "He was just bleeding from everywhere," she said.
She figured Zeus had lost a fight with another dog and wiped off his wounds. However, when she checked on him later that night, she realized her error. "I noticed that the light was reflecting off some of the cuts on his head," she said. A nurse at Anne Arundel Medical Center, she grabbed a pair of tweezers and pulled out a piece of shot.

The next morning, she took him to Bayside Animal Medical Center in Severna Park and dropped $2,000 to get six pellets removed from his right eye socket, spine and skin. She said doctors tried to remove more of the lead pellets, but gave up when they realized they were doing more harm then good searching for the tiny bits of metal. Now back home, Zeus looks fairly pathetic, his fur shaved in various spots where doctors tried to help him. Mrs. Pinnix said he was a little more active yesterday though, jumping up and hugging visitors, shaking hands and sitting on command, all while happily munching on treats. "He's starting to be himself," said Mrs. Pinnix.

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:   Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl Furl |

References

The Capital - December 27, 2005

« MD State Animal Cruelty Map

Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2007 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy