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Family says beloved Yorkie-poo was killed with a pellet gun at Colorado home

Son found his dog barely breathing in the backyard
Posted at 4:05 PM, Oct 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-23 20:51:00-04

JOHNSTOWN, Colo. -- A small dog named Grizzly was a big part of the Vasquez family; now, they're struggling to understand why someone would kill him in their backyard. 

Chase Vasquez, 14, found his dog barely breathing when he arrived home on Thursday. Grizzly and the family's other dog were in their fenced yard for a couple of hours while he was at school.

"He was my dog and I got him for Christmas about five years ago and he was really cute," said Vasquez. "He was really sweet to all of us."

He realized his pet wasn't going to make it and tried to comfort him and that's when he discovered several wounds on the dog. The family believes someone shot the animal with a pellet gun. They took Grizzly's body in for an exam and a veterinarian found a pellet lodged in the dog.

When asked why someone would harm his pet, Vasquez replied, "I don’t know, it’s just... I don’t know."

He said the family has never received any complaints about Grizzly.

"Just know that me and my brother have broken hearts," said Vasquez.

His mom and dad reported the incident to the Johnstown Police Department. They're also worried about the safety of other dogs in their neighborhood. The family lives in a subdivision called Thompson Crossing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Johnstown police at (970) 587-5555.

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