Manitoba dog owner speaks out after pooch shot in Westman community

A Manitoba dog owner is upset after her family's pooch turned up on her porch with a gunshot wound last weekend.

Samantha Benn said she knew something was wrong when her common-law partner found their 7½ year old German Shepherd, named Milinko, in distress on the back deck of their Birdtail Sioux First Nation home early Saturday morning. 

The community is located 97 kilometres northwest of Brandon, Man. near the Saskatchewan border. 

"His right shoulder... he was shot," she said.

She contacted an animal agency for help and the dog was rushed to Virden Animal Hospital. 

Benn said the hollow-point .22 caliber bullet caused so much damage, the dog's front right leg had to be amputated. 

She said she doesn't know what happened to her dog, but believes someone intentionally shot it. 

"I do know that people do have a tendency of shooting dogs," said Benn. "Which is a sad thing to do when they stray into your yard." 

"That makes me quite upset," she added. "I don't think anyone would have mistaken him for anything else. I do believe it was intentional."

She posted the incident on Facebook and said she had heard of another incident in the community where a dog was burned and tortured. 

Benn reported the incident to police.

The Dakota Ojibway Police Service confirmed officers in Birdtail Sioux are aware of the incident and have canvassed the community for information. No arrests have been made and no charges have been laid against anyone in the case. 

Benn said she and her family picked up Milinko from the vet in Virden on Monday and he is now at home resting. She was advised to keep him indoors until his staples and stitches were removed. 

"It's just heartbreaking that anyone would actually treat any animal like that," she said.

Not an isolated incident 

Alicia Hoemsen is the executive director of Strays that Can't Pay, an animal rescue group that helps First Nations communities in Westman control the stray animal populations and animal owners. She says violence against animals is nothing new. 

"We just had one [dog shot] a month ago in Waywayseecappo," she said. "We also had two dogs in Sioux Valley that had ligature marks."

Four dogs in the month of January needed amputations, according to Homesen. The operation costs in the thousands of dollars. 

"It's pretty sad because in our community... if anyone discharged a firearm that would raise quite a concern," she added. 

She's advising pet owners to keep their dogs, and their children, close by and not to let them leave their sight.