Reward offered for information leading to killer of chained dog

The dog was shot twice.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- A $2,500 reward is being offered by the Humane Society of the United States for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot a Wallis Avenue dog.
Pete, a Chow-German shepherd mix, was killed sometime early March 8, while chained in the back yard.
Cyndi Sankey, Mercer County humane officer, said it may have been a random shooting because a second dog chained in the yard was unharmed.
She said there had never been any complaints that the dog bit or injured anyone, and it's unclear why this dog was specifically targeted.
Samantha Mullen, program coordinator for the mid-Atlantic region of the Humane Society, said her office has seen an upswing in the number of dog shootings recently. The society has offered rewards similar to this one twice in the past few weeks in other areas of Pennsylvania.
Mullen said the reward was sparked by a call from Sankey to report the matter.
Here's the concern
"We feel it's really dangerous for a person like this to be in the community," Mullen said.
The Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Department and the dog owner's family said the dog's body, in which two exit wounds were found, was taken to the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter. Whoever shot the dog could be charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals and felony weapons violations.
Sankey said a conviction would mean a fine ranging from $50 to $750 and a possible 90-day jail term.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Capt. Douglas Long of the Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Department at (724) 983-2720.