Monday, October 1, 2012

Dog shot by arrow; sheriff looking for suspect

TENNESSEE -- Julie Scott spent the weekend putting up fliers, searching her Seymour neighborhood, and calling around in hopes of finding her rescue Golden Retriever mix, Allie.

She had a bad feeling about the dog she's had for four years, only to find out her instincts were right. Someone had shot Allie with a bow and arrow.



Scott said Allie was in the backyard Friday morning when she went to work. When she got home late that night, Allie was gone.

Around lunchtime on Friday, a good Samaritan found Allie hurt in the parking lot of the Speedway Store in Seymour off of Highway 411.

A sheriff's deputy and the concerned citizen took Allie to Seymour Veterinary Clinic.

"Dr. Jones made it to the car first. She gave it [Allie] some pain medications because it was obviously in distress. We cut the arrow some so it wouldn't be hanging out as far," said Veterinarian Dr. Sam Lyle, owner of Seymour Veterinary Clinic.

While Allie was able to walk for a while, the internal injuries forced the vets to make a tough call.

"We felt like it was the most humane thing to do to euthanize the pet," Dr. Lyle said.

Unfortunately, Allie's owners weren't able to be a part of that process.

"We had scanned it for a collar... and for a micro chip but could not find a sign of any owner," he said.

Scott found out Monday after calling the Seymour Veterinarian's office.

She was too upset to do a formal interview, but said she appreciated the good Samaritans and veterinarians for taking the best care they could of Allie.

Scott described Allie as loving and gentle. She didn't understand why someone would shoot her dog.

Sevier County Humane Society Director, Jayne Vaughn, said she does not believe the dog was shot by accident.

"As much as I would hate to think that someone would intentionally shoot an animal with a bow and arrow, it does happen and we have seen other crimes against animals committed intentionally," she said.

The Humane Society is collecting donations for a reward fund to help find out who did this.

"I'm very upset. Cases like this  are always disturbing because it makes you aware that there are people out there that are capable of committing such acts on animals," she said.

You can mail your donations to P.O. Box 976 Pigeon Forge, TN 37868.

The Sevier County Sheriff's Office is looking for anyone with information. They ask you to call their Animal Division at 865-453-4668.

The Humane Society encourages pet owners to make sure their pets are secured if kept outside and always keep them tagged, either with a collar or microchip.

(wbir - Oct 1, 2012)