Dog shot and killed in Duplin County, owner seeks answers

NORTH CAROLINA -- Duplin County woman wants the shooting death of her dog investigated.
                   
She says she found the animal wounded on a neighbor's property, but hasn't received answers as to how it happened.

The owner, Kayla Kornegay, is devastated.

She found her 5-month-old lab mix shot and the puppy died shortly after she found him. Now she wants answers and a better understanding of animal control regulations in the county.

Kornegay has 7 dogs that can be seen on her Duplin County farm, but it was her 5-month lab mix Titian that she felt a special sense of responsibility for.

Kornegay says, "I discovered that he was blind. He was stumbling real bad and I decided I was like, I'm going to keep him."

Kornegay says that's because she didn't want anything bad to happen to Titian.

But Monday morning her worst fear was realized when 4 of her dogs wandered off, including Titian. Three of the dogs came back home, but after about 30 minutes of searching, she found titan on a neighbor's property shot in the abdomen.

Kornegay says, "I immediately dropped down to my knees and I sat there and I cried with him until I watched him take his last breath."

When Kornegay couldn't get through to Duplin County Animal management she contacted WITN.
She has since talked to animal control officer Joe Newburn.

We also talked to him over the phone and he says there's been an animal control ordinance in place since 2011.

Essentially it states it is the owner's responsibility to keep their animals confined upon their property or in their presence. He explained that if someone felt their life was in danger they could do what they need to in order to remain safe.

If the investigation determines that is not the case, then criminal charges would be filed.

Kornegay has started a facebook page to rally support and hopefully justice for the puppy.

She can't imagine the dog she describes as playful and kind being nuisance enough for someone to want to shoot him.

Kornegay says, "I don't think he would have made anybody feel threatened. When people would come up in the yard he would usually actually hide because he couldn't see them. I would love to know who did it."

Kornegay says the dogs do have a fence that they stay in but that it recently broke and they very seldom wander off.

Duplin County Animal Management is investigating this case, but no charges are currently pending.

(WITN - Oct 20, 2014)