 White swan shot dead
Tusseyville, PA (US)Date: Apr 2, 2006
Local Map: available
Disposition: Open
Case Images: 1 files available
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
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A white swan found by his owner with his head resting against its longtime mate was shot and killed in what state police are investigating as a case of animal cruelty. Russ, a domesticated swan who for 12 years had lived in a pond off Neff Road, was shot by a small-caliber weapon in the lower tail area, police said. Mortally wounded, Russ made his way back to his mate, Russina, where he died lying on her unprotected side. That's where Clifford Button, who feeds the swans every day, found the cob after returning from church on April 2, 2006. "It was definitely hateful, and it was premeditated," Button said, wiping tears away as he spoke. "Someone went up there with hate in their heart and shot a bird that didn't do anything to them."
Swans mate for life, and Russ and Russina were always together, Button said. Beloved family pets, neither could fly after their wings were clipped. Button now fears for Russina and the eggs she is nesting, which are due to hatch in three weeks. Russ would sometimes sit on the nest while she went in search of food and water.
State Trooper Lucas Rankin said there are no leads in the case. The neighbors appreciated the swans and don't have guns in their homes, and the family couldn't think of anyone mad enough at them to kill their pet. "Some kid probably just decided to take a shot at one and unfortunately killed it," Rankin said. The swans, while very territorial, aren't aggressive unless they perceive someone as a threat, Button said. The bullet hole suggests that the shot came from directly above the swan. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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