CORNWALL, Ontario – A stray dog that was shot and killed Monday morning just north of the city has residents screaming bloody murder.
The incident has led to conflicting stories from South Stormont township officials concerning specific details.
The stray, which was apparently terrorizing a collection of horses at a nearby farm according to some who live in the area, was gunned down by an animal control officer retained by the township of South Stormont.
Sava Bogorode, who lives on County Road 42 between Headline Road and South Branch Road, said Tuesday he and other dog owners in the neighbourhood are upset, and concerned about letting their own animals out.
“Will they be shot at it, and left on the side of the road?” he said in an interview.
Bogorode began investigating the demise of the dog after he found spent shotgun shells and large pools of blood along County Road 42 Monday.
He was told by a dispatcher from the OPP that the dog had been disposed of.
“Apparently it was chasing someone’s horses,” he said. “This dog was no threat to anyone.
“I found two shotgun shells…and blood splattering like you would see in the movies.”
Bogorode said he had spotted the animal in the days leading up to the killing, running in the neighbourhood. Others in the area had spotted it as well, and an item had been posted online about the “found” animal.
Bogorode described the dog as skittish. He also said he had an encounter with an individual in a pick-up truck in the moments before he found the shotgun shells and the blood.
“He said that everything was ok. That (the dog) was a sick stray,” Bogorode said of the encounter. “But (the dog) was fine the night before.”
Bogorode believes the person he spoke with was an animal control officer tasked with finding the dog. He added the body of the animal was still visible a short distance away at this time but has since been removed.
Herb Waldroff the animal control officer for the township, was abrupt in a brief telephone conversation with Seaway News.
“I don’t know anything about it,” he said before hanging up the phone. Waldroff also indicated the animal had been killed by a nearby farmer before terminating the conversation.
But that wasn’t what township bylaw enforcement officer Andrew Downing said took place.
In an interview Downing suggested the OPP had received a complaint from the public concerning the dog, and that Waldroff was, in fact, dispatched to find the animal.
Downing said Waldroff claimed he found the animal in distress, perhaps having been hit by a car. Waldroff took it upon himself to put the animal down, and disposed of the body via cremation.
“Herb told me he shot the dog,” said Downing.
He did indicate the dog was not tagged, which is against South Stormont bylaws and would have made it easier to track down a potential owner.
“There was no way for Herb to identify it,” he said.
