NEW YORK -- Jak, a 16-year-old show horse, was more than a family pet to Paige Pavlot.
"My parents bought Jak for me when I was going through some difficulties in college," Pavlot, 25, said in an email. "He wasn't just a show horse. He was my life. Jak did anything I asked of him and showed me a special kind of love."
Jak was shot and killed around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on the family's farm in Oneida County.
Kirkland Police Department said a man driving a gray Dodge Avenger on Kirkland Avenue in Clinton crossed into the other lane -- disrupting traffic as he pulled his car to the side of the road, police said. With his car stopped across the road from the farm, the man pulled out a long gun and fired once, killing the horse, police said.
Pavlot said Jak would have turned 17 in April. The family has two other horses that were not harmed.
"We spent many hours riding through trails and competing in horse shows," she said. "He took champion in many of the shows we rode in. He really was a special boy."
Pavlot said she had a special bond with Jak.
"We were very in tune with each other," she said. "It was almost like he knew what I was thinking and I could read his mind. I was lucky to have him and share love and happiness with him -- even though it was cut short."
Pavlot said her family is well-known in the community and doesn't have any enemies.
"We feel this was a random violent act by a truly sick and disturbed individual," Pavlot said.
Community members have given donations to offer an undisclosed reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who killed Jak, Pavlot said
"Our horses have always been safe and happy," she said. "Not once has anything like this happened to us or anyone we know."
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call (315) 853-3311. Police also asked anyone in the area with security cameras to check for footage of the shooting.
(Syracuse.com - Dec 31, 2015)
