ANCHORAGE — Police in a small southeast Alaska town are investigating arrow attacks that killed one dog and wounded another in a neighborhood where three other dogs went missing last fall.
Haines police initially offered a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the shooter of the 30-inch arrows. The reward has since grown to almost $800 as outraged residents in the community of 1,800 donate their own funds.
“People are very upset about it,” Haines Borough Police Chief Gary Lowe said. “I think more than anything, there’s just kind of a fear that it is a psychopath.”
Or likely, Lowe said, it’s the work of someone who rationalized last week’s shootings as defense of property.
Shannon Thompson, who owns the dogs with her boyfriend, suspects both —an unbalanced person who doesn’t like stray dogs on personal property. She thinks she knows who it is. Lowe said police have narrowed their investigation to two people of interest who would have acted alone.
Thompson wants the culprit to know: “They took something very special from us.”
She had let her three dogs out after she woke up Jan. 15.
She was changing her newborn son a while later and happened to look up. There was Maple, a lab and rat terrier mix, yelping and screaming, an arrow sticking out of her head. Smurf — a 3-year-old lab and Newfoundland mix that is Maple’s father — was unharmed. But 9-year-old Foxy was nowhere to be seen.
Thompson called her boyfriend, Jeremiah Kinison, who came home and removed the arrow, which did not pierce the skull. Haines has no veterinarian, so the couple had to put Maple on a flight to Juneau 80 miles to the southeast where she was treated.
Foxy, a boxer-dachshund mix, remained missing the whole day despite Thompson’s calls and whistles. The next day around noon, Foxy showed up on the porch with an arrow still stuck from her back through her chest. The distressed dog had partially chewed off the arrow.
Thompson called Kinison, who was picking up Maple after she returned from Juneau. Again, another flight to Juneau, this time with a dog with a punctured lung and an arrow still stuck in her.
Foxy died in surgery.
“I bawled like she was my mother that passed away,” Thompson said. “I’ve known her since she was a puppy.”
Steve Vick, executive director of the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel, said three other dogs disappeared in the same area some months back. People are making the connection between those cases and the arrow attacks, even if there is no evidence showing a link.
The impact of the arrow shootings on the small town is palpable. People are shaken up over the horrific treatment of the dogs, for one thing, Vick said.
“But I think people thought further into that, thinking that there’s someone in our community who’s capable of doing this,” he said. “People wonder, then, what else is this person capable of doing.”
Comments (15)
Add commentToxic
That's what the atmosphere will be around that small town. Poor Haines folks...
Pity the dogs
"who doesn’t like stray dogs on personal property"
I know its out of context. The fact is no responsible dog owner lets their dogs run loose. If you care about your pets, take care of them. No neighbor should have to put up with your dogs crap. I think the owners still need a ticket for allowing their dogs to run free.
For your pets safety and well being, keep them restrained. A fenced run is cheaper than vet bills. How many pets get hit by a car when they are inside their fenced yard?
Even though I agree with
Even though I agree with keeping your animals under control, however it still does not give that person a right to shot the dogs. What if your child roamed over to that person’s yard? And on that note, people like this can very easily do this to a person. Let’s hope he doesn’t own any firearms. Sicko.
responsible loving pet owners do NOT let their pets
roam loose so they can go onto other people's properties. It is that simple. The shooter was 100% wrong but the dog owner has no justification to be upset unless they realize how they caused their own dog's death.
I own pets and am one of the few who clean up after them when we walk. I had a neighbor was "let their dog out" around 6 am so no one would see his dog and he had no idea where it was toileting. I can tell you it was in my yard daily. I asked nicely twice for him to keep his dog off my property to which he adamantly replied "my dog goes in my yard, not yours". Animal control was zero help.
I had to buy a camera set up to catch the dog in the act. The dog owner said it was a fluke and didn't even come to clean up after his dog. Animal control told me I had to have a pic with the owner in the shot when the do was doing his business to prove the owner was aware of what his dog was doing. Not possible when the slob opens his door and doesn't step a foot outside.
I finally got some help from his landlord after threatening him with a lawsuit because he was profiting from his rental at my expense.
There is no such thing as an irresponsible pet but sadly there are many completely irresponsible and disrespectful pet owners.
must've been the last firing brain cell
that instigated this. I wouldn't involve the police, personally, if my dog came home with an arrow in him and I had some slight idea of who fired it. If you can't handle a little dog poop on your property in Southeast Alaska then move. Put up a fence or get a house boat. Mention it to the neighbor and if that doesn't work start chucking the bombs back over on their property. Shooting someone elses' dog with an arrow is how you start something you can't finish.
No excuses here
No excuses here, dog owners need to be responsible for their pet’s period. I too on occasion have had other neighbors dogs come over and deposit poo in my yard. My husband was sitting on our porch when a neighbor walked his dog past our house off leash –his dog come into our yard and pooped and when he was done they started walking away! My husband was quite surprised and yelled at the owner! HEY! How would you like it if I came over to your yard and took a crap! Apparently it got his attention because a few minutes later the guy came back with a plastic bag to clean it up. I hope they catch the person(s) responsible for injuring the dogs.
stray dogs
We get stray dogs on our property all the time, and I cant for the life of me, ever imagine wanting to hurt the dogs over it. If this person is shooting at dogs, what else are they shooting. I agree that owners need to be responsible, but this isnt just about someone who doesnt like dogs on their property, its gone way past that now when there are 2 dogs hurt, one of them died and 3 others missing from that same area. I hope they find out who did it. The animal shelter in Haines has this statement: "If you would like to pledge money to the reward fund contact the Haines Borough Police Department at (907) 766-2121." I know I will be making a pledge.
http://harkalaska.org/
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If it was me i'd get drunk and kick in the persons door and put a whoopin on the person.
I agree shooting not the answer
The blame does rest on the owners. If a person does not have the time to train their animals, they do not deserve to have pets. I love dogs and most animals. I do not like people turning their animals loose to romp the neighborhood.
Who has time to properly train stray animals where property lines are? How much yelling go home, throwing rocks, Talking to the owner who thinks they have a right to let their animals run free when and wherever they want?
It sounds like her normal routine to wake up, and let the dogs out for the neighbors deal with. Some neighbors want their property respected. Who knows how many times she had been asked to keep her dogs from running? Perhaps it is more than just crapping in other peoples yards. The owner knows the issues her dogs cause. She needs to keep them home, or not have pets.
so akman
You sound like you're justifying the shooting; i.e. "It's the dog owner's fault."
Did the dog owner nock that arrow and draw that bow? No.
What next? The dog-hating archer doesn't like your dog barking in your fenced yard so he deals with it in his own special way? Or your kids crossing his yard?
This guy had a psychological problem that needs to be addressed...no more bows, and definitely no guns.
What a cruel, inhumane thing
What a cruel, inhumane thing to do! There is NO excuse or reason you can give that would justify that! That low life, cowardly POS should be shot with arrows.
Protecting oneself is one thing. But an arrow suggests stealth
was the call made here to avoid detection. Then again Haines is a small town...the marksman may have just showed his/her hand.
Shannon ....
Shannon Thompson, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts are with you during this time.
GP
pretty sick stuff
There are irresponsible dog owners out there, but this is beyond the pale, and without excuse.
Say a dog is robbing your chicken coup, or running moose (I've seen both in Haines)---It doesn't take much effort in that town to figure out which neighbor to approach and say "The next time I see that dog in my yard it's gonna be out of luck." Anything else, use a paintball gun and send the dog back to its owner with a clear sign of where it's been.
I just read there is a couple
I just read there is a couple up in Fairbanks that would choke their little dog until he passed out and they did that for entertainment. WTF is wrong with people? Fortunately the little dog was removed from that sick twisted couple and is in the care of a dog rescue facility there. Mean people suck, but those that abuse animals are beyond mean, they are sick, evil, mentally unstable and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The scum that shot those dogs with arrows, needs to be shot with arrows and the mentally unstable couple up in Fairbanks that choked that little bitty dog, should be choked until they pass out and then choked again and again and again; just like they did to that little dog. I hope they don't have children.