A family is in mourning after their dog was shot and killed in their own backyard.

The witnesses who rescued a German Shepherd after it was ejected onto a busy road in the Katy area are sharing their story, hoping it serves as a wake-up call on how not to transport pets.

Authorities say a man and a woman from Texas have been charged with animal cruelty after deputies in North Carolina found 10 dead dogs in the back of their rented box truck.

It is a slow, but steady recovery for a beloved pooch who became a hero trying to protect his owner from deadly gunfire.