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Police search for suspects after child’s service dog shot dead in Colorado Springs backyard

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department are searching for whoever's responsible for killing a child's service dog in his grandmother's backyard. The shooting happened near Adams Elementary School.

Tank was a registered service dog. For years, he spent his life supporting a little boy dealing with trauma. His family called him a gentle giant.

"He provided comfort for him because of the things he'd been through, he was his security blanket," the boy's grandma said, telling KRDO she didn't want us to include her name for safety reasons.

The boy's grandma said she heard loud pops on the afternoon of May 25. When she went outside, that's when she found Tank lying dead in her backyard after being shot.

"I just started screaming. I said 'somebody shot my dog!'" she said. "[It was] in the afternoon -- broad daylight. You know, I just can't understand why someone would do that. That's being very vicious to a gentle dog."

As the investigation is still active, details from police are limited, but investigators aren't aware of this happening to any other pet owners in the area.

"At this point, this appears to be an isolated incident, but as a fellow dog owner, I understand the pain in losing a pet this way," CSPD Lt. Pamela Castro told KRDO. "There was nothing the victim could have done differently or anything I would recommend other families to do, as she was doing everything right."

Lt. Castro also told KRDO that this crime is classified as "Cruelty to Animals," which is a felony.

If you have any information about who may be involved with this crime, you can reach out to Colorado Springs Police by clicking here. To remain anonymous, you can send a tip to Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers by clicking here.

Article Topic Follows: El Paso County Crime

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