KINGWOOD, Texas – A family is in mourning after their dog was shot and killed in their own backyard.
Now, the community has come together to help find the person responsible.
“I just can’t imagine somebody doing something like that. It’s unbelievable in this day in time, in this neighborhood, in Kings Manor, in Kingwood Texas,” explained resident Chris Kennedy.
Jill, her son, Luke, and their two dogs, Mitchel and Stevie, moved into the Kings Manor neighborhood in January of 2022.
“That was his buddy,” said Kennedy. “He raised that dog from a puppy!”
Mitchel and Luke were joined at the hip. You can tell by their photos and videos that the bond they had was unmatched.
On Thursday, Oct. 13 at around 10:45 a.m., Mitchel was found in the backyard unresponsive.
“The dog had been shot through the eye and it pierced his brain. So he was very disoriented,” noted Kennedy. “Mitchel was a sweet, big, lovable boy who didn’t deserve to die this way.”
Mitchel was unable to stand and was bleeding so they rushed him to the vet.
Chris Kennedy, Jill’s father, said Mitchel was shot 10 times in the throat, head, and upper body. The final round penetrated his eye socket and lodged in his brain.
He was ultimately left paralyzed and Jill had to make the tough decision to euthanize him. Chris and his wife Shelly explained the vet costs just for the weekend care were upward of $10,000.
“This left his best friend, my grandson, a 7-year-old little boy scared to play in his own backyard,” Chris added.
Chris explained that the rounds were fired by a high-power pellet rifle or pistol.
“The pellets used to kill Mitchel are designed to take down small game like squirrels or game birds. Unfortunately for Mitchel, he was 10 times that size and took multiple survivable shots before the shooter fired the fatal round.”
On the day of the incident, Chris says the children in the area were on fall break. Just across the street from their home is a basketball court and recreational area for children.
“The kids were playing basketball, people were out walking their dogs and people were sitting on their porches drinking coffee. Someone had to see something,” said Chris.
Other Kingswood residents are appalled and shocked this happened in their neighborhood.
“It breaks your heart to think we live in a world today where this stuff can happen to an innocent dog. I mean, come on,” noted resident Claire King.
Stephanie Solano has lived in the neighborhood for over two decades and says this is the first violent crime she’s ever witnessed.
“What would cause somebody to walk up in the middle of the day and do this?” Solano asked.
Now, a family is mourning the loss of a family member while searching for some answers.
“I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else,” said Chris.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 2 Animal Cruelty Task Force is conducting an investigation. This is a felony and the person convicted could face up to $10,000 in fines and two years behind bars. Members of the community have come together to pledge funds to assist in the case. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person that killed Mitchel.