Winchester, Massachusetts – An off-leash dog who died after allegedly being shot during a walk in the town forest off Sussex Road over the weekend did not actually die from a gunshot wound. State Police assisted the Winchester Police with a ballistic K9 after the report of shots fired.
But a necropsy revealed that the Australian Shepherd actually died after being impaled by a stick that punctured the lung. During the exam, there was no metal found in the dog’s body and no exit wound was observed.
As reported by NBC Boston, officials believe the dog’s death is a tragic accident caused by the stick impalement.
(Stock image of Australia shepherd via Pixabay/not the dog who died)
In case you missed it:
- Adorable, Beautiful Shepherd Overlooked At Shelter For Over A Month, Now She Is Danger
- Colorado Man Facing Felony Charges For Killing Mother Bear And Her Cubs
Help Put Animal Abusers Away! Sign A Petition To Fight For Animal Justice.
This never would have happened if the dog was being walked by a person with a leash. Too many people allow their dogs to roam freely up ahead of them while they are walking or hiking and there are consequences to that. Plus, dogs should never be roaming when they could encounter wildlife. There are lots of cases of dogs killing wildlife while owners are nearby oblivious to it.
This was a beautiful dog, but why was he/she alone in the woods like that?? Someone could have killed the dog also, doesn’t seem right that a dog would run right into a stick unless it was running from something!! Where were her/his owners when this happened?? Are you glad now that the dog is gone?? You could have given that dog to someone rather than have the dog out like that, there are chain linked fences and leases!! Did you have the dog neutered?? Neutering/Spaying a dog will accomodate you with the dog staying at home too!! Did you know that are 35 to 40 million dogs killed in the U.S. per year just because they are not spayed/neutered!! Wise up people, and give your dogs the life they deserve, have them spayed and neutered!! They live longer and are not bothered with the tumors or cancers that dogs that have not been spayed/neutered have!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you read the report, the dog wasn’t alone, it was being walked with the owner. The area may be an allowed off-leash area. There is no mention of whether the dog was neutered or not, and I fail to see how that is relevant as the dog wasn’t roaming at large, but being taken for exercise with/by the owner.
The owner reported hearing ‘a gun shot’ but that was probably the sound of the stick breaking as the dog ran onto it, and I’ve heard of a couple of instances of this happening, and had it happen with my own horse in her own paddock. Sometimes tragic things just happen, and there is no fault. It’s just an awful thing.
Personally, I feel sad for the poor owner who took their dog for a fun walk and had this happen. And I’m relieved that there isn’t someone walking around a public area shooting dogs.
This happened to a friend’s dog. The dog was happily running with a large stick on his own property with his guardian right there. Somehow, the stick hit the ground and twisted, impaling the dog’s chest area. He died almost immediately, before they could get him to the vet. There are much safer toys for dogs to fetch so please, never teach them to play with sticks.
Omg..As an owner that would be devastating
Happened with a horse of mine, too, though thankfully was just a nasty injury and didn’t cause her death. I have no idea how it happened, but I went and called her in from her paddock and she had a piece of stick hanging out of a nasty gash in her chest.
Similar happened with an ex neighbour, his little dog was just having the zoomies in the backyard and ran onto a branch on a tree. Thankfully, just needed me to give them a lift to the vet for a check and clean with a couple of stitches. It can happen so easily that an animal is just running around having fun and runs onto a branch in the wrong way, even if they’re not playing with the stick.
ENSURE Dwayne Anthony Missouri, a former Dallas Cowboys FOOTBALL player, pays for his sadistic, depraved crime of abandoning PUPPY — and, he lied about it — thank God for beautiful, alert Passersby — what kind of Human engages in such obscene indifference to plight of others — where is the EMPATHY.