Shots fail to kill dog

Press, 22 April 1987, Page 1

Shots fail to kill dog

By

NEIL CLARKSON

A dog left for dead on the south bank of the Waimakariri River at the week-end had survived at least one bone-shattering gunshot to the head. The injuries were so severe it was difficult to see how many times it had been shot.

“I have destroyed a lot of animals — horses, cattle and dogs — but frankly this would have been the worst case of cruelty, intended or not, I have seen involving a dog,” said Sergeant Tony Tully.

“There was no way in the world it could have been saved.”

Sergeant Tully shot the dog with a revolver. The animal was found on Sunday by Mr Ken Paterson, aged 29, who was walking his own dog between the two road bridges across the river.

He came across the dog, which was sitting up, and took it home.

He tried unsuccessfully to call the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals before telephoning the police. Sergeant Tully said the dog appeared to have been shot with a largecalibre weapon, possible a .303 rifle. One bullet had passed from its right ear, down

through the top jaw, through the animal’s tongue and shattered the lower jaw. “The jaw was just hanging on by a piece of skin.”

There was also a large hole in the snout, possibly caused by another shot. “The dog did not have a collar, or any means of identification. We have got no avenue of inquiry to find the person responsible.” He said the only hope, was if anyone had heard a shot or shots in the area at the time and noted the registration number of any vehicle. The dog was black and appeared to be a Border collie-cross.