The sheriff's office tells 14 News the dog charged a deputy. But the owners say they think the situation could have been handled differently.
Union County Resident Amy Coker says her family has been trying to figure out exactly what happened to their 3-year-old lab Cash after he went missing the morning of December 20th. But, Coker says searching for answers has been tough.
For the Coker family, including 6-year-old Cadence, Cash was more than just a pet.
"It's losing a family member," Coker said.
Union County Sheriff Mickey Arnold tells 14 News that on December 20th, a deputy was out on a call regarding two other dogs, when the Cokers' dog chased a woman from her car to her house and "charged" the deputy. Arnold says the deputy then shot the dog.
"We also had a neighbor call us and tell us that they saw the dog catcher and the sheriff walking through our back yard," Coker said.
Amy says she noticed blood stains along her sidewalk saying the dog must've walked back to its own yard after the shot.
Judge Executive Jody Jenkins tells 14 News that the dog warden was out of town that day and a substitute found out about the deceased dog and properly disposed of him.
Amy says she and her husband have contacted both agencies, hearing several different stories of that day's events.
"From the four stories that we got, yeah, that was basically just our dog just jumped up and attacked him I guess, but we have no proof of that," Coker said.
Judge Executive Jenkins says shooting an animal is reserved for cases where an official feels they are in danger.
Amy Coker says she's heard of other cases in the area similar to her own and wants justice for Cash, her friend and member of the family.
"This is our 6-year-old who's had him for three years. What are you going to tell her? We are not going to give up," Coker said.
