Manitoba

Owner furious after dog shot by pellet gun in Niverville

A Niverville woman is warning others after her dog was shot by a pellet gun earlier this week.

Erin Thomas says she believes her dog, Tanner, was shot in the family's yard

Erin Thomas with her dog, Tanner, who is a Bernese Mountain Dog and Border Collie cross. Tanner was shot with a pellet gun in his forepaw. (Austin Grabish/CBC)

A Niverville woman is warning others after her dog was shot by a pellet gun earlier this week. 

Erin Thomas says she believes her dog, Tanner, was shot in the family's yard.

When Tanner came into the house Thursday night, the dog seemed fine, said Thomas. But the following morning when the dog came in from playing outside, Thomas cleaned his paws and noticed something. 

"I was like, 'Is that metal in your leg? Where on earth did that even come from?' And then I went and grabbed tweezers and got it out, and sure enough, it was a pellet from a pellet gun," Thomas said.

 "And there's no way he somehow stepped on it… He was for sure shot," she said. 

The family has a two metre fence around their yard, but Tanner likes to sit on top of a playhouse. 

"That playhouse stands probably about two feet above the six-foot fence, but our yard is completely enclosed other than that area and he just likes to sit up there and perch himself up there and just kind of watch what's going on," Thomas said.

Tanner was shot by a pellet gun. (Austin Grabish/CBC)

Bewildered and upset, Thomas took her dog to the vet to get patched up and called RCMP. She also posted a notice on social media to warn neighbours.

"I just wanted to make people aware that it had happened and just to kind of watch their dogs and check their dogs and see what happens. I've had a lot of positive comments and a lot of support."

RCMP said they received a report of a dog in Niverville being shot with a pellet gun and that the dog had been taken to the vet as a precaution.

While Tanner is recovering, Thomas said she is furious and upset, not only what happened to her dog, but what could have happened.

"Why is somebody out in town shooting a pellet gun at anything," she asked. 

"This could have been somebody else's kid for all I know. I mean, I've got a seven-month-old at home and if we were outside and someone shot off a pellet gun and it accidentally hit us? That would drive me crazy."