Hunters report puppy killed by poachers with a crossbow

photo courtesy of Joseph and Kayla Quales

Over the weekend, Joseph and Kayla Quales’ beloved puppy, Lily, was killed as two legal hunters looked on as the 10-month old Border Collie/Pointer mix was shot by a crossbow by poachers in Albany township.

Lily who was an Easter present for Kayla but lived most of her time at her parent’s house. Lily was last seen Saturday at 5 PM.

A neighbor of the parents and owner of the property where Lily was killed who allowed two hunters on his property called Kayla to inform her that Lily had been shot. The two poachers shot the dog in front of the other two hunters with a crossbow.

Lily was found the next day, dead, with an arrow near her body.

The Game Commission is invesigating the incident.

Ironically, it was the Game Commission who decided hunters no longer had to attach their hunting licenses on their backs in full view for others to see beginning 2012. These poachers may not be able to be located unless the hunters know who they were.

Lily was roaming freely, unfortunately. Does this give a hunter or poachers a right to hurt or kill a dog for no apparent reason? No one could mistake Lily for a deer.

Why do hunters feel the need to kill pets?

Zoey

Another case in Wisconsin last month had the same outcome. A dog named Zoey also was roaming freely. Her family looked for her and even asked hunters if they saw her. At first, they were told they threw sticks at her because she was disrupting their hunting. After being asked the following day, they said they didn’t see her.

Three days after her disappearance, her body was found a short distance from the hunter’s tree stand. She, too, had been shot with an arrow through the neck and back and left to die.

It isn’t only dogs hunters will kill. I personally know of cats being killed during hunting season.

I don’t pretend to understand the mentality of any hunter killing domestic animals. From my research it seems Pennsylvania is quite notorious for hunters being agitated with loose dogs in the woods during hunting season.

Believe it or not, hunters are allowed to kill dogs for chasing deer but why would you? Unless the dog is threatening your life, I can find no sound reason for any hunter to kill a domestic pet.

The two hunters involved in Lily’s case are poachers. They were on private property and did not have permission to be there. If they had killed a deer, the Game Commission can seize any deer they killed, confiscate their weapons and and be fined.

To my knowledge, there is no penalty from the Game Commission for killing a pet dog!! If this Quales are lucky enough to discover who killed their dog, they may be able to sue them in a civil suit.

This is beyond sickening to hear. If anyone shoots my dog, there will be hell to pay!