Moore Lake cottager Jake Moreau is still reeling after his dog, Bowie, was shot between the eyes with a pellet gun Nov. 24.
Moreau said the 100-pound snow white Husky mix is recovering from its injuries, but the family is shaken since their cottage, “is supposed to be a place to relax and unwind; a place of solitude where you can reduce stress levels.”
Moreau said he had returned to the family cottage, and, as usual, Bowie came running to the car to greet him. Happy to be home, Moreau jumped out of the car and went to give the dog some attention when he saw something on his forehead, right between his eyes.
“You can imagine my surprise, shock and anger when I realized it was a pellet from a pellet gun.”
He quickly took Bowie inside to show his father, John, and girlfriend, Lise, frantically asking where the dog had been that afternoon. They took pictures and performed an in-house surgery to remove the pellet.
“Thank goodness he is OK and is healing up well to this moment,” Moreau added.
His father told him to call police. “The 911 operator was incredible. She kept us calm and took our problem very seriously. She did a great job. The police also showed up very quickly. The officer who responded was very thorough and sympathetic.”
Moreau said they told police they thought there were only two people in the area that weekend. He said the family eliminated one as a suspect, and police went to talk to the other. He said they got a call about 40 minutes later from police, saying the person they were talking to had a pellet gun with the same calibre slugs as found in the dog.
Moreau said, “he admitted he was doing target shooting that afternoon, but did not shoot the animal…. The officer said the individual wanted us to come down so he could apologize. Weird? If he did not see the dog and did not shoot it, why would he want to apologize? Why would a pellet be placed perfectly between the eyes of an animal if it was an accident?”
Moreau said the man did not admit to shooting the dog but his story “was not at all logical. If he was target-shooting at a target about six feet off the ground, how could he place a pellet between the eyes of my dog who stands about three feet off the ground? The only way this shot placement could have occurred is if the dog was looking directly at the muzzle of the gun. And he claimed he didn’t see the animal…. a 100-pound snow white Husky mix against a green/brown background.”
Moreau said “they quickly realized the conversation was going nowhere.” He said police asked if they wanted to press charges, “but warned us that while the evidence that the pellet was fired from his gun is present, it is very difficult to prove intent as he would likely keep the same story of it being an accident.”
Moreau said, “I guess the real problem is that we have been going up to my cottage for over 20 years with our wonderful pets.
“Now, it feels like we have to constantly be aware of the dogs’ whereabouts. It’s really a terrible situation we are in now and we are not sure what our dogs did to deserve it.” He said the animals have great temperaments.
Haliburton Highlands OPP Const. Rob Adams confirmed no charges had been laid. He reminded people to follow all safety regulations, wear appropriate gear, and be aware of your surroundings when handling firearms – including pellet guns.
Moreau said they did want to thank the 911 dispatcher and police that responded to their call and took their situation seriously.
“With everything going on in the world today, people do not hear enough stories about the 99 per cent of good law enforcement members. They should be praised and we are very thankful for their help.”
