Yahoo Finance Stony Plain family believes dogs found dead in backyard were shot by passerby
A family in Stony Plain, Alta., west of Edmonton, believes its two dogs were shot and killed on Thursday by someone passing by.
Dylan DeBlois, 20, and his mother were preparing to leave their house around noon Thursday.
DeBlois let the small family dogs out as they got ready.
When he went to the backyard 10 minutes later, the beloved family pets — a 15-year-old chihuahua named Butter and a 10-year-old Pomeranian named Fiso — were dead.
"I didn't really know what to say or think or do," DeBlois said Friday.
"I was kind of in shock."
The family believes the dogs were shot by someone on a public walkway adjacent to the DeBlois property.
DeBlois said the pets had what looked like bullet wounds and something had passed through one of them. He did not hear gunshots.
A spokesperson for Parkland RCMP said they have not verified the cause of death but were investigating.
"Those dogs were everything to our family," DeBlois said. "We did everything together, we'd bring them camping, everything."
Neighbours heartbroken
The violent incident has sent waves through the cul-de-sac at Briarwood Point.
A memorial with flowers was set in front of the family's house by neighbours Angel Tuttle and Sonia Kochansky on Friday afternoon.
"We're just heartbroken for our neighbours and we want to show them our support and hope others will as well," Tuttle said.
"I just hope the community will show their support. These are family members — we all have dogs here."
"I think everybody is confused for their animals and scared and planning on keep them close to them," Kochansky said.
The family is hoping someone with information or footage may come forward to help find out who may have been responsible.
"You don't just go up and shoot two innocent dogs," DeBlois said.
