PLYMOUTH, Minn. - A family in Plymouth is mourning the loss of their beloved dog, Porter, after he was shot and killed in their yard in broad daylight with a pellet gun.
Chris Docken said the incident happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday, while his wife Sarah was at home with their 2-month-old daughter. Their 6-year-old dog, a purebred springer spaniel, was playing in their yard when he all of a sudden let out a loud yelp, Docken said.
Docken, who was at work at the time, said he got a frantic phone call from his wife saying she saw Porter run toward the fence right before yelping in pain. The family's fence runs along 54th and Northwest Boulevard, which is a high traffic area.
Initially, they thought the dog had been poisoned since they heard about that happening recently. Docken said Porter was acting very strangely and throwing up. They rushed him to Rockford Road Animal Hospital for help.
"When I got him out of my car, my coat sleeve was covered in blood," Docken said.
Porter was rushed into surgery, and the medical team quickly discovered he had been shot.
"They basically thought someone put a pellet gun through the fence and shot him," Docken said. "The bullet went through his body ... and stopped near his heart."
The animal hospital continued to work on Porter but unfortunately, he lost too much blood and had possible liver damage.
"They said he wasn't going to make it," Docken said.
Porter died about an hour later.
Hoping to get answers about who would do something like this Docken called Plymouth Police, who started a criminal investigation.
"I couldn't think of anyone who would do this," he said.
Docken said Porter would've celebrated his sixth birthday this coming Monday. He was a wedding present the couple received from Docken's parents and quickly became a family favorite for his two young daughters.
"We long joked he was our first born," he said. "He was just a great dog. Our kids loved him. The neighbor kids loved him. ... There was never an evil bone in his body."
To add to their concern, Docken said his wife Sarah and their 2-month-old child were a mere 100 feet away when Porter was shot.
"Obviously, it was concerning for a number of reasons," he said.
Plymouth Police do not have any leads so far but continue to investigate. Docken said he is offering a $1,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction for whoever is responsible. He and his wife also created fliers to help spread the word.
Porter has been taken to the University of Minnesota for a complete autopsy.
"It's just senseless," Docken said. "We can't bring him back but if anything else, we just want to know why this happened."
