Terrible agony

Residents in fear: Dog killed by 2 shots!

A golden retriever like this met a horrific end.(Bild: Denis Aglichev - stock.adobe.com)

Sheer horror and bewilderment reign after a horrific death of a dog in a housing estate in the district of Voitsberg (Styria): The animal has been killed by two shots at close range - the pet owner is suspected! The man, who owns weapons, has been charged with cruelty to animals.

The news of the dog's death spread like wildfire in the settlement and caused bewilderment. One woman in particular, who found the golden retriever mix on the street and returned it to its owner together with others, is deeply shocked. "The four-legged friend obviously didn't want to go to him when I tried to hand him over. But then he must have given up and crept along with his head down, as if to his execution. And immediately afterwards he was dead. That breaks my heart."

"Howled and whimpered"
Even before that, the four-legged friend must not have had a good life. "We saw how he was locked out in the garden at minus seven degrees, he howled and whined so terribly," says a local resident. "When we spoke to the owners, who had only just moved in, they just said that he had a kennel, wasn't allowed in the house and would have to get used to it. We were very upset, but couldn't help the animal." 

The four-legged friend very obviously didn't want to go to him when I tried to hand him over. But then he must have given up and crept over with his head bowed as if to be executed. And immediately afterwards he was dead. That breaks my heart.

Anrainer

After a terrible scream, it was deadly quiet
And there were also earwitnesses to the night of his death: "At first it sounded as if the dog was fighting something in the garden, he was barking. Then he suddenly let out a terrible scream. And then it was dead quiet." The dog was not seen again the next day.

It all happened back in January, and charges of suspected cruelty to animals have now been filed after intensive police investigations - against the owner himself, a 48-year-old man with no criminal record. Who legally had weapons at home.

Owner denies the crime
He gave the officers a completely different version: his dog had been shot and injured by an unknown person and then died in the car on the way to the veterinary clinic. 

"The autopsy produced a different result," says police spokesman Fritz Grundnig. Namely: "The dog was hit by the first shot at close range and seriously injured. The second shot, also from close range, was then fatal." In between, the dog suffered terrible agony, "lasting between several minutes and hours".

Herrl came up with a new version
Quite strangely, the dog owner did not do what anyone else would have done immediately - namely report the alleged stranger who, according to him, had shot his dog. Grundnig: "He also involved himself in contradictions." And was very uncooperative. He did tell the police where he had buried the animal's body in the forest himself. But he refused to help dig it up for the autopsy. He also did not confess.

Fritz Grundnig: "He legally owns several weapons, which were seized for the time being." However, the projectile found in the dog does not match any of the legally found weapons.

Suspicion of cruelty to animals
The man has now been charged with suspected cruelty to animals. The whole area is hoping for clarification, someone says it clearly: "The fact that this dog, which was so sweet and affectionate and grateful, was killed in such a horrible way, devastates us all! Something like this must not go unpunished, we hope for the court!" Or: "We don't want to live near a guy like that - we're downright scared of him." Of course, the presumption of innocence applies.