A family was left devastated after hunters shot their beloved dog because they mistook it for a coyote.
Chris Heller was walking with Jennifer Heller’s dog Hunter in Berks County, Pennsylvania, when hunters shot the 8-year-old malamute mix after allegedly mistaking the animal for a coyote.
As Heller explained, however, it should be impossible to mistake her companion for a wild animal because Hunter was wearing a reflective harness and collars at the time of the incident.
The grieving woman has since also demanded justice for the pain her dog underwent before passing away on the way to the vet.
She also launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise enough funds to hold the involved parties accountable after they “tried to sweep this incident under the rug.”
According to Heller, officials insisted “no game law violations were detected” even though Hunter is twice the size of a coyote and was wearing a reflective vest and collars when he was shot dead.
The woman also revealed that Chris met a group of hunters and informed them that he and Hunter, along with his own dog, would be passing through the forest where they were hunting. He allegedly also informed them they would be gone in a few minutes.
Just moments after he walked away with the dogs, however, one of the hunters shot the malamute in the gut.
“The hunter only said I thought it was a coyote. I want this hunter to lose his hunting privileges for a few years and have to take a hunter safety course before he can hunt again,” Jennifer demanded.
“This was a family pet. It wasn’t a wild animal. He was loved and taken care of. We called him ‘the cheese man’ because he loved dairy products. We used to bribe him with cheese.”
She added: “Hunter was an incredibly sweet and intelligent dog- gentle with the Hellers’ young grandchildren, immediate best buddies with the other animals in the home, and a loving companion who would do anything for a good piece of cheese.
“One of the most important rules of hunting is to know what you’re shooting, and when this man shot despite that he snuffed out the life of a wonderful pet who had a lot more life and love to share.”
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