MANS BEST FRIEND MUTILATED

Man’s best friend mutilated By Jon Johnson, Assistant Editor
It has been said that man’s best friend is his dog. Faithful and loyal, dogs have been man’s companion for more than 15,000 years.In that time, dogs have earned a unique position with their human counterparts, essentially becoming a part of the family.

The Graham County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in reference to animal cruelty in the Roper Lake area June 2 and discovered a homeowner’s dog’s paws had been shot off.According to the GCSO police report, the homeowner initially thought his dogs had been caught in some sort of trap, but after being cared for by a veterinarian, an X-ray showed the injuries were caused by a birdshot shell from a small caliber gun.The owner of the dogs feels this was especially cruel because one of them had only three legs before he was shot.“It cost $2,000 to amputate the (injured) leg off each dog,” he said. “The one only has two legs, both on his left side. I’ll probably have to put him to sleep.”While the GCSO has no suspects at this time, it believes the shooter may have been on an ATV or motorcycle.The homeowner has offered a $100 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals who perpetrated the crime. Call the Graham County Sheriff’s Office at 428-3141.