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A Pennsylvania family’s beloved dog was recently shot and killed while in the woods with its owner after a hunter thought the animal was a coyote.
Jennifer Heller’s eight-year-old malamute mix Hunter was tragically shot in Berks County, Pennsylvania while wearing reflective collars and harnesses.
Heller shared the news of the animal’s death in a Facebook post while calling for justice for her pup, saying she was “in a lot of pain” before dying on the way to the hospital.
The Heller family has started a GoFundMe to help raise money for legal expenses to file a civil case to “hold accountable the parties who have tried to sweep this incident under the rug.”
A Pennsylvania family’s beloved dog was recently shot and killed while in the woods with its owner after a hunter thought the animal was a coyote.
Jennifer Heller’s eight-year-old malamute mix Hunter was tragically shot in Berks County, Pennsylvania while out for a walk with her owner.
Pennsylvania law enforcement officials dropped the charges against the hunter, telling a local outlet that “no hunting law violations were detected” and that the incident was purely a mistake of identity. Hunter weighed nearly 90 pounds, twice the size of a coyote, the woman said.
The shooting has sparked outrage among the community, with many rallying behind the Hellers to help bring ‘justice for Hunter’.
The shooting occurred on January 7 as Chris Heller was taking Hunter and the other family dog, Freya, to a “very common walking trail” near his home.
Jennifer said in a Facebook post that Chris found no cars at the trailhead, but the man kept the dogs close anyway.
At some point, Chris found a group of hunters and had a chat with them about how he thought hunting season was over. The group told them that it had spread.
Chris let the hunters know that he and his dogs, who were off leash, would be walking through the woods and that he would be off the trail in several minutes.
Hunter was shot while wearing reflective collars and harnesses, says Jennifer
The dog had been out for a walk with its owner and her other dog, Freya.
Chris Heller said he had spoken to hunters to tell them they were walking in the area before Hunter was shot.
The hunters communicated to others in the group that there would be a man and two large dogs in the area, according to Jennifer’s post.
Before they could walk away, one of the hunters shot the dog while it was only a few feet away.
The malamute mix was shot ‘in the gut’ by a hunter with a scope on his rifle.
Chris yelled ‘who shot my dog?’ before picking up the puppy, asking for help.
Jennifer said the hunter who shot Hunter stood up and watched as the others tried to help with the wounded animal.
Earlier, the family was able to get Hunter to the car, but the animal died after a short drive while “in pain” for 20 minutes.
Before they could walk away, one of the hunters shot the dog while it was only a few feet away.
This is the photo of the dog’s collar, shared by Jennifer in a Facebook post.
The hunter reportedly did not apologize to the family for killing the dog.
‘The hunter just said that I thought it was a coyote. I want this hunter to lose his hunting privileges for a few years and have to take a hunter safety course before he can hunt again,” Jennifer wrote.
“This was a family pet,” Jennifer Heller said in an interview with local media. It was not a wild animal. He was loved and cared for. We called him “the cheese man” because he loved dairy products. We used to bribe him with cheese.
The Hellers adopted Hunter from Howling Woods Farm in Jackson Township, New Jersey, according to an interview they gave to the morning call.
The dog was a beloved member of the Heller family.
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Commissionthere is no ‘closed season’ for coyote hunting.
“Outside of any big game season (deer, bear, elk, and turkey), coyotes may be taken with a hunting license or furtaker’s license, and without wearing orange,” the Pennsylvania Game Commission states on its site. Web.
Hunters must have a ‘general license’ to hunt the animal in the state.
“During any big game hunting season, coyotes can be taken while hunting legally or with a furtaker’s license,” the site continues.
“Hunter was so loved by so many people and he shouldn’t have ended his life,” Jennifer said.
A spokesperson for the PA Game Commission told The Morning Call that the hunting group was in full compliance with the law.
The spokesperson said that dog owners in areas where hunters are present should wear fluorescent vests and harnesses.
He continued, stating that the burden still falls on hunters to positively identify their targets before shooting.
“It’s a fundamental rule of hunting,” the spokesman said.
The family is now raising money to cover legal costs against the hunter.
Despite officials saying it was completely legal, the family is still pursuing legal action against the hunter.
Jennifer recently started a GoFundMe to raise $10,000 to help cover a lawyer’s retainer.
The family alleges that the PA Gaming Commission “has rejected all suggestions and has told Jennifer Heller that the real problem is that the Hellers don’t understand that this was ‘a mistake’ and just let it slide.”
They also say that they have tried to contact the hunter, but he does not want to meet for fear of backlash from social media.
A lawyer has told the family that he believes they “have a strong footing for a civil case and can hold accountable the parties who have tried to sweep this incident under the rug.”
As of January 15, the fundraiser has raised just over $3,100.
“Hunter was so loved by so many people and he shouldn’t have ended his life,” Jennifer said.