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Officials seek clues in shooting of young bulldog in Brookfield
By jeanne starmack
BROOKFIELD
Photo
An American bulldog that was shot in Brookfield Township sometime over the weekend undergoes surgery at a local veterinarian’s. The dog suffered gunshot pellet wounds to its face, but was recovering fine after Wednesday’s surgery. Police and a county humane agent are investigating.
The mystery of who owns an American bulldog found injured on a porch on Brookfield Avenue is solved — but not the mystery of who shot the animal.
The dog was taken to Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County after a woman called police Sunday afternoon to say it was on her porch and was acting aggressively.
Police arrived and called the League’s after-hours responders.
A responder who came out first thought the dog, a 70-pound, 3- to 4-year-old male, might have been in a fight with a porcupine, said Ken Herlinger, a county humane agent who works through the league.
But once the dog had surgery at a veterinarian’s office Wednesday, the vet confirmed it was pellets from a shotgun that pocked the dog’s face, he said.
Wednesday evening, the league was asking people who had any information about the dog to call.
But Thursday, Brookfield police were able to shed some light — at least on where the dog came from.
Police Chief Dan Faustino said the woman who lives in the house where the dog was found told Officer Joe Lavaglio, who went out on the call, that she had been caring for the dog since January and its owner lives in an apartment.
The night before, it had killed her small dog, she’d said. She said that afterward, it got loose.
“She is saying it ran away,” Faustino said.
The chief said Lavaglio told her and the owner to come pick up the dog.
“She said she was just dog-watching. The owner said he gave it to her,” Faustino said.
Lavaglio called the AWL Thursday afternoon to report what he knew about the dog.
Herlinger said Thursday the woman told the league’s responder she did not know where the dog came from.
Herlinger said he does not believe either the woman or the dog’s owner is responsible for the shooting.
Faustino said police weren’t aware the dog had been shot and now will make a report and investigate.
Herlinger said he will also participate in the investigation. If they can find out who shot the dog, that person will face misdemeanor animal-cruelty charges.
He said the dog has recovered from surgery and is now back at the league’s shelter.
He said he does not know what will become of it.
“It has shown some aggression,” he said. “The owner said he might be interested in getting it back.”