MILLINGTON, TN (abc24.com) - A Millington family says their dog was maliciously shot in the head by a Memphis firefighter. They say the chocolate lab was trapped and killed when he wandered onto a neighbor's property.
It was about a week and a half ago that 'Skeeter' was playing in a nearby pond, then wandered into the neighbors yard. That's where he was caught and shot.
Skeeter was a full blooded chocolate lab and trained as a prized retrieving lab. He was worth thousands of dollars, but if you ask his owners, "Well, my dad would tell you he's worth a million dollars."
Suzy Hollenbach's father lost his million dollar dog on a sunny Saturday a week and a half ago when Skeeter and two other dogs were outside playing in a pond.
"Within a few minutes he heard gun shots, the two dogs came running by and Skeeter, my father's chocolate lab, was no where to be found," she said.
Hollenbach says her father approached the neighbor, Memphis Firefighter Timothy Riley.
"The guy informed him he did shoot his dog, I guess because the dog had entered his property and trespassed… he had steel leg traps set out; he decided to trap the dog and went and shot it point blank in the head."
Hollenbach says the neighbor never once reported a problem with the dog and she believes he should face animal cruelty charges. So far nothing's been done. Animal rights groups like PETA and Born Free are now involved in the fight.
"Once he had the dog trapped, call the pound, call the police - there's no reason to shoot the dog, it was rendered defenseless at that point," she said. "We just don't understand why he would shoot and kill the dog."
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office confirms that this is an ongoing investigation.
