Pennsylvania family’s dog shot by hunter who mistook it for a coyote

[Satanica]

Hat tip @Sugar Cookie

[....]
Chris Heller was walking his two dogs in the woods near his house on Jan. 7 when his 8-year-old malamute mix Hunter was shot by a deer hunter, his wife Jennifer Heller said in an online post.

Chris Heller rushed to get the pup to an emergency vet but he didn’t make the trip. Hunter died on the way, she said.

“Hunter was an incredibly sweet and intelligent dog — gentle with the Hellers’ young grandchildren, immediate best buddies with the other animals in the home, and a loving companion who would do anything for a good piece of cheese,” Jennifer Heller wrote.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission, however, said the hunter won’t face any charges or disciplinary measures because he made a mistake, thinking the beloved family pet was a coyote, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Hellers want the commission to suspend the hunter’s hunting license and to make him retake a safety course — or at the very least an apology from him for killing their dog, Jennifer Heller said.

“One of the most important rules of hunting is to know what you’re shooting, and when this man shot despite that he snuffed out the life of a wonderful pet who had a lot more life and love to share,” she wrote.

Jennifer Heller said her husband was walking Hunter, who the family had adopted from a New Jersey shelter, and their German shepherd, Freya, on a cleared path through the woods and alerted the group of deer hunters of their presence.

Both dogs were wearing collars and harnesses and Hunter is nearly three times the size of a coyote, she added.

She said the hunter who killed the family pouch never apologized and refuses to come forward out of fear of social media backlash.

The family now plans to take legal action and has met with an attorney. They have launched a GoFundMe to cover legal fees.

Pennsylvania family’s dog shot by hunter who mistook it for a coyote

Chris Heller rushed to get the pup to an emergency vet but he didn’t make the trip. Hunter died on the way, she said.

nypost.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

What a beautiful dog.

I hope charges are brought against the hunter.

 

[thuumpr]

Hat tip @Sugar Cookie

Pennsylvania family’s dog shot by hunter who mistook it for a coyote

Chris Heller rushed to get the pup to an emergency vet but he didn’t make the trip. Hunter died on the way, she said.

nypost.com

He thought this was a coyote?

How's his eyesight?

 

[HEREIBE22]

Sad.... Like 20 years ago, I would have said this was an accident but people today smh it might have been a thrill killing. The shooter hasn't come forward.... Looks bad

 

[knockout]

Here we go again with people that have no idea what they’re talking about. Some dogs look like wolves and coyotes, if you let them run around in the forest during hunting season, they could get shot and the blame is on the owner, not the hunter. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their stupid actions and stop blaming everyone else

 

[Sejanus]

Unfit for hunting.
Name, shame and sue.

 

[everjaded]

Here we go again with people that have no idea what they’re talking about. Some dogs look like wolves and coyotes, if you let them run around in the forest during hunting season, they could get shot and the blame is on the owner, not the hunter. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their stupid actions and stop blaming everyone else

If you don't have a clear enough shot to see that the dog is wearing a harness and a collar, don't take the shot. Harnesses literally cover center mass, which is where any half decent hunter would be aiming for.

Popping off at any old movement rustling through the bushes that you can't identify with no ambiguity is how humans also get shot.

 

[Blizzard]

What an idiot. Completely unfit for carrying a gun around in the woods shooting at things.

Authorities are so biased that they refuse to even take action against the shooter.

Apparently it is okay to be terrible and shoot guns at unidentifiable animals that resemble dogs, no problem at all that it's a guy walking a dog and the bullet could have hit the guy maybe

what bullshit

 

[knockout]

If you don't have a clear enough shot to see that the dog is wearing a harness and a collar, don't take the shot. Harnesses literally cover center mass, which is where any half decent hunter would be aiming for.

Popping off at any old movement rustling through the bushes that you can't identify with no ambiguity is how humans also get shot.

He had a clear shot and it certainly looks like a coyote and he didn’t miss, End of discussion since dog lovers are going to blame the hunter, no matter how irresponsible the dog owner is
He saw it clearly and it would’ve looked like a coyote to anyone that saw it, it should never have been let lose to run around in the woods especially during hunting season, since hunters usually hunt and shoot coyotes
Edit
My last post on this, cause it’s just going to be more of the same, from dog lovers that don’t hunt and don’t live in rural areas we’re coyotes roam, hunt and do damage
Just look at the pic and tell me you wouldn’t think that’s a coyote running around in the woods

 

[cubby]

Here we go again with people that have no idea what they’re talking about. Some dogs look like wolves and coyotes, if you let them run around in the forest during hunting season, they could get shot and the blame is on the owner, not the hunter. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their stupid actions and stop blaming everyone else

I agree with you to a point, but if you can't tell what you're shooting at, dog vs coyote, then you don't need to be in the woods with a gun of any sort. He could have hit the man with the dog. Then he definitely would have been charged with a crime, accident or not. Best thing to do in these days of dumbasses everywhere you go, is stay the hell out of the woods when it's hunting season, who knows what you might be mistaken for.

 

[thuumpr]

Here we go again with people that have no idea what they’re talking about. Some dogs look like wolves and coyotes, if you let them run around in the forest during hunting season, they could get shot and the blame is on the owner, not the hunter. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their stupid actions and stop blaming everyone else

And we're not seeing as a case of not shooting a coyote or erring on the side.of dogs...

Lets shoot first. Maybe we'll get lucky.

 

[Babs]

The owner was walking his dogs "...on a cleared path through the woods and alerted the group of deer hunters of their presence. Both dogs were wearing collars and harnesses"

Seems pretty clear to me that the hunter was vision impaired or stupid. Add the failure to apologize, which comes across as either arrogant or ignorant, and I'd be pretty pissed. Just sayin...

 

[everjaded]

He had a clear shot and it certainly looks like a coyote and he didn’t miss, End of discussion since dog lovers are going to blame the hunter, no matter how irresponsible the dog owner is
He saw it clearly and it would’ve looked like a coyote to anyone that saw it, it should never have been let lose to run around in the woods especially during hunting season, since hunters usually hunt and shoot coyotes
Edit
My last post on this, cause it’s just going to be more of the same, from dog lovers that don’t hunt and don’t live in rural areas we’re coyotes roam, hunt and do damage
Just look at the pic and tell me you wouldn’t think that’s a coyote running around in the woods

Reply, or not, but it's really assumptive to think we don't live in rural areas, or know anything about coyotes living in those rural areas and what they look like. I live in MS now, and before that was in FL, both of which are coyote territories.

I don't personally hunt but I have plenty of family and associates who do. And yes I love dogs but that's not even what has people upset here.

The facts are, this hunter mistook a 90 lb dog for a coyote, which in and of itself should tell you there's a problem. Largest coyote ever recorded in damn near 30 years at a hunt which is held annually in PA (the state where this occurred) weighed in at 53 lbs. The largest coyote EVER killed that's recorded in the US, which was damned near 100 years ago and also out west, weighed 75 lbs.

Like, do YOU live in a rural area and deal with the presence of coyotes? Because if you think mistaking a 90 lb dog for one is in any way reasonable, I've gotta say, I'm a little surprised.
https://www.theprogressnews.com/pro...lbraith turned in the,weighed in at 53 pounds.