By Flynn Snyder
Published: Jun. 2, 2023 at 10:43 PM EDT
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - The foster parents of four-year-old American Foxhound Harvey are in shock after they say someone shot and killed the dog in a Chatham County neighborhood.
“He was so kind and sweet to people, kids, and other dogs,” said Victoria Diaz Carlson.
Victoria Carlson was Harvey’s foster mom.
She called him “Skippy.”
According to a Chatham County Police report, officers were called to the 8400 block of Whitefield Ave on Wednesday.
When police arrived, Carlson’s husband told them he found Harvey with a .22 caliber bullet wound in this shared driveway.
“When he finally came over here, he found Skippy literally right there on the side of the road shot dead. It’s horrifying to see,” said Carlson.
The report says the dog escaped a backyard fence just blocks away by digging into the ground.
“Dogs can be dogs sometimes and get out, but it doesn’t give you an excuse to shoot a dog in cold blood.”
“This was not a shot that was made to scare him off for some reason. It was a shot to kill him,” said Karrie Bulski, the director of One Love Animal Rescue.
Karrie Bulski runs One Love Animal Rescue.
She says the shooting raises safety concerns, not only for her dogs, but also for the people who foster them.
“I don’t know possibly why you would shoot him, but the appropriate thing to do is if you have a dog that’s loose on your property, you call animal control. You don’t shoot and kill a pet,” said Bulski.
Georgia law says it’s illegal to kill a dog unless a person is defending themselves or their property from injury or damage.
The two are left searching for answers about who shot the foster pet as they worry about other people and animals in the area.
“They should feel safe in their neighborhood,” said Carlson.
“He was never given the chance to have a second chance because somebody took that away from him,” said Bulski.
Bulski says Harvey was wearing his collar and tag when he was shot.
She’s asking neighbors to come forward with any information.
Police have not given any details about who might’ve done this.
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