Rylee's friend "Oatis" will no longer be there when she calls for him. (submitted photo/Bella Zimmerman)

By Nigel Maxwell

Rural Crime

‘We heard a bang, like a loud rifle shot’: local family mourns sudden loss of beloved pet

Nov 23, 2020 | 5:00 PM

For the second time in a year, a family from the rural area northwest of Prince Albert is mourning the loss of a beloved pet.

Bella Zimmerman’s six-year-old German Shepherd “Oatis” was shot and killed Sunday night near the family’s home. Zimmerman told paNOW the family was getting ready for bed, when the sound of loud music caused her and her husband to look out the window.

“Then we heard a bang, like a loud rifle shot and our dog dropped dead,” she said.

The incident brings back some painful memories for the couple and their six children. It was around the same time last year that their eight-year-old German Shepherd “Max” went missing, and was found dead two weeks later with a gunshot wound to his neck. Zimmerman said it was easier then comforting her kids because they did not know what happened.

“This time the kids heard it. My eight-year-old, all I said to her was there is evil in the world and we have to battle that evil with love,” she said.

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Zimmerman recalled seeing two vehicles pass the family’s yard with a small loud car, with a dark, single cab truck following close behind. She said the truck had no licence plate and no working tail lights.

A photo taken of Oatis with his best friend Blue. Blue was not harmed Sunday night. (submitted photo/Bella Zimmerman)

Zimmerman could not explain what may have prompted the people to shoot her dog, explaining the family has not received any sort of threats. She acknowledged though that there has been a lot of crime in the area.

“We’ve never been hit by crime and we credit that to the fact we have loud dogs so I’m thinking [the yard] was scoped out and they thought ‘we’ll take care of the dogs and we’ll maybe break into the neighbour’s shop or something’,” she said.

Zimmerman said she spoke with RCMP officers who have assured her they will keep their “eyes and ears open.” In the meantime Zimmerman is also making a plea to the persons responsible.

“You can take anything you like, I don’t care, but leave the living creatures out of it,” she said.

Oatis and Blue playing with Zimmerman’s son. (submitted photo/Bella Zimmerman)

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell