The Atlanta Humane Society is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the bow-and-arrow shooting of a family's dog in Tucker.
A 2-year-old black Labrador is recovering after being shot in the abdomen Saturday in the yard of its owner in the 2700 block of Thornbriar Road.
The dog, Obsidian Rose, underwent four hours of surgery to remove the arrow -- typically used for deer hunting -- and to repair the damage, according to owner Kirby Vanderyt.
"This is a horrific act of animal cruelty," said Humane Society president William Shaheen. "It is imperative that those responsible for this terrible act are caught so that we can prevent this from happening in another neighborhood to another family."
Vanderyt, who calls her dog Siddie, said the shooting occurred as she and her family were preparing for dinner late Saturday afternoon.
"I could see a piece of metal hanging from her," Vanderyt said. "I thought she had impaled herself."
Siddie was bleeding profusely and about to go into shock. The wounds had been made by a triple-point arrow, the kind used to bring down a deer.
"It's designed to go all the way through a deer," Vanderyt said. "When it enters, it's like three razor blades that open up and bore a huge hole into its target."
Vanderyt eventually drove Siddie to the University of Georgia animal hospital, where the canine underwent surgery to save its life. The arrow nicked Siddie's intestines and two of her arteries. Luckily, it did not strike any vital organs.
But because the shooter has not been caught, Vanderyt and her neighbors in the community that sits between Tucker and Henderson high schools remain uneasy.
"A lot of people are concerned," Vanderyt said. "I don't feel comfortable letting my pets or my grandchildren outside, because we don't know what we're dealing with. That was a lethal weapon."
The DeKalb County Animal Services agency has opened an investigation into the incident, according to DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish. Anyone with information is asked to call 404-294-2645.
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