SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio police are investigating two cases of animal cruelty after reports of a person randomly shooting and killing dogs from their vehicle in one north side neighborhood.
The two dogs were killed within minutes of each other Saturday in the neighborhood near Blanco and Basse Road.
Both owners wanted to remain anonymous out of safety concerns but spoke with KENS 5 to warn other pet owners.
The first incident happened around 12:18 Saturday morning when the owner said he was sitting outside on his back patio.
“My little dog is excited about anything,” he said. “Once she sees the car, she ran that way.”
He said someone in a dark colored SUV fired off one shot, hitting and killing his German Shepard puppy, Rosie.
“It was that quick,” he said.
Just minutes later, at 12:22 a.m., multiple home surveillance videos captured what appears to be the same vehicle driving down the street. You then see someone fire off one round, hitting another dog.
That dog’s owner said she was named Everest and was known as the neighborhood dog.
“She was just the sweetest, sweetest girl, super sweet,” she said.
She said her dog, who typically roams the block, was outside her neighbor’s house when she was shot because her husband was inside. She believed Everest was waiting for her husband to come out.
“Everybody loved her,” she said.
She admits the hardest part is telling her young children what happened. She said they adopted Everest after she lost her father to help her children cope with the grief.
“I explained to them that grandpa now has a pet in heaven now with him and I think they find comfort in knowing that Everest is in heaven with my dad,” she said.
Both owners said they are hoping investigators can track down the suspected shooter.
“I get goosebumps thinking about it, my fear is what if it’s a person next time? A child?,” Everest’s owner said.
Animal Care Services is assisting SAPD in the investigation. Meanwhile, District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur released the following statement:
“We are deeply concerned about recent reports of pets being shot in our district. Police reports have been filed, and an investigation is actively underway. The safety and well-being of our community including our pets is a top priority for D1. If you see something, say something, please don’t hesitate to contact SAPD immediately, and always feel free to reach out to the D1 team.”