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Editor's Note: Some of the photos in the gallery may be disturbing to some viewers.GUSHER, Uintah County — A Gusher family's Doberman pinscher was shot to death last Friday in Uintah County and the owner is offering a reward for information.
Sometime between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, the owner claims “Chunk,” an 8-year-old Doberman, was shot while contained in a fenced front yard.
“She was my best friend,” said Jessica Petty, the owner. “We went hiking together, she went hunting with my boyfriend, she was very outgoing.”
Petty said that as she was starting her car, she called for “Chunk,” and when her pet didn’t respond, she knew something was wrong. She walked around to an area where the dog has a camper she would sleep in and found her lying on the ground dead.
“It was morbid,” Petty said. “I can’t even describe what was going through my head. I just wanted to scream.”
Petty said she called the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office and that they reported her case to Uintah County Animal Control.
Tina Williams of the Uintah County Animal Control and Shelter said that as of right now, there are no suspects or motives that animal control is aware of.
Williams said officers from animal control responded and interviewed Petty’s neighbors, none of whom had any issues with the dog or with Petty. She said there have been no other reports of dogs being shot in the area and no prior reports of aggressive behavior from “Chunk.”
“I can’t even describe what was going through my head. I just wanted to scream.” — Jessica Petty, owner
“She changed a lot of people’s minds about the breed,” Petty said. “Anybody that got around her, they learned to love “Chunk.”
Petty said she hopes her case is investigated further because, aside from wanting justice for “Chunk,” she is also concerned about firearms being shot near her home, as she has two small children.
“I wanted to know, were they shooting at my house?” Petty said. “Were they targeting my dog? I have kids in my house. My dog was my security.”
Petty said she texted photos of the dog’s body to animal control personnel.
Williams said this is an open investigation and that they hope to see no more incidents. A $1,000 reward has been offered for any information regarding the person who killed “Chunk.”
“We’re just hoping there aren’t going to be any more incidents,” Williams said. “This doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s unfortunate, and when it’s your family pet, it’s just devastating.”
