Dog’s killing shocks family
‘Big puppy’ dies after air-rifle blast outside his home
An Auckland family want answers after their 2-yearold dog was shot and killed by an air rifle. Daniel Mcnicholl, 33, of Glendene, had just given his mastiff-cross, Neo, leftover fish and chips on Wednesday last week before putting him on his chain for the night.
Mcnicholl was watching TV when he heard a bang outside about 9.30pm.
“I go out the back door and see Neo at the top of the drive yelping.
“He’d got off his chain, but I don’t know how. By the way he was yelping I thought he must have been kicked or something.”
Mcnicholl brought his pet inside, but didn’t notice a hole in Neo’s front near his ribs until the next morning.
“He didn’t seem too distressed and wasn’t bleeding so I didn’t see it, but the next morning he was vomiting. I took him to the vet straight away.”
The vet told him a bullet had gone through Neo’s kidneys and intestines then lodged itself in his bowel.
They assumed it was an air rifle pellet due to its small size.
“He was in theatre for about six hours, and it was touch and go. We had to be prepared to say goodbye.”
Neo had just died when Mcnicholl arrived to pick him up next morning.
“I just sat and stroked him, pretty heartbroken.”
Mcnicholl said his 9-year-old daughter couldn’t comprehend how someone could shoot her “big puppy”.
He added it was pretty devastating to be left with a $2000 vet’s bill and no family pet.
He is convinced the shooting was no accident. “It’s definitely on purpose, but I don’t know if they shot to kill. The depth of the bullet shows they were close range, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Mcnicholl said his family wished they knew why Neo was killed.
He said they had lived in their neighbourhood for six months and never had any complaints about Neo.
“He’s good natured — an intimida- Daniel Mcnicholl, Neo’s owner ting dog, as he’s big, but not a bad dog.”
Mcnicholl said he didn’t know anyone in the area with an air gun.
“I almost want to start some sort of case to get rid of air guns in suburban areas. It makes me nervous with young kids playing, especially as he was most likely shot on the street.
“It could have missed and gone through a window, or it could have been me.”
A police spokeswoman said they received a report of a gunshot-like noise on February 8.
“There were no sightings of anyone with a firearm in the area and it’s unclear where the sound came from. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police.”
She said owners concerned about pets’ safety were advised to make sure their property was secure. Mcnicholl family Givealittle: givealittle.co.nz