Animal Cruelty Suspects Sought

BERLIN- Local law enforcement agencies this week are seeking the public's help in the identification of a suspect or suspects wanted in connection with the shooting of a family dog with arrows in a field in Berlin last weekend and the disappearance of a second, which authorities fear may have suffered the same fate.

Around 8 a.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a residence on Nine Pin Branch Rd. in Berlin in reference to a report of a two-year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever named 'Shiloh,' which was severely injured and believed to have been shot twice with hunter's arrows. MSP troopers also responded to the same residence to investigate the disappearance of an eight-year-old dachshund/Cocker Spaniel-mix dog named 'Weenie,' who had not returned home after playing with 'Shiloh' earlier that morning.

According to pet owners, the two dogs frequently play in the same field across the street from the residence, and around 8 a.m. last Saturday, 'Shiloh' returned home showing obvious signs of trauma. The dog had two impact trauma wounds and was bleeding from both. The first was below the dog's left eye and through the nasal cavity, while the other wound was on the right shoulder blade.

The owners told police they feared a hunter or hunters shot the dogs and the smaller dog, 'Weenie,' did not survive the incident. Police searched the fields in and around the family's property for the smaller dog with negative results. A local veterinarian examined 'Shiloh' and determined the Chocolate Lab had most likely been shot twice with arrows used for hunting deer.

From the beginning, the search focused on a white Ford F-250 truck with a dark green four-wheeler in the bed, which had been seen in the area. However, MSP officials later in the week reported the suspect vehicle had nothing to do with the incident. According to later reports, 'Shiloh' is expected to recover from its injuries. The smaller dog has not been recovered. Anyone with information is urged to contact the MSP Berlin barrack at (410) 641-3101.

Meanwhile, a separate but similar incident occurred in Wicomico County in the Salisbury area sometime late Monday or early Tuesday. In that incident, a domestic horse in a field was reportedly shot by what appeared to be a hunter's arrow. The animal was injured but is expected to recover, according to reports.