Guard dog shot in Fort Myers

Ken Harrison doesn't know why someone wanted to kill Hank, a German shepherd watch dog at his home on Towles Street in Fort Myers.

The dog was shot three times Sunday morning around 5 or 5:30 in the home's fenced yard, Harrison said. "All I know was that he was asleep when they did it," he said. "They just wanted him dead."

Lee County Domestic Animal Services is seeking information on the shooting.

The three to four-year-old male dog appeared to have been shot three times, the agency said. An investigation by them and the Fort Myers Police Department revealed that neighbors were awakened by the sound of gunshots but did not witness the shooting. One neighbor did tell police they heard shots and a dog yelp around that time, the report said.

Neighbors also said that they have seen children throwing rocks at Hank and high school-aged children used the area as a short-cut.

Investigators found several spent bullet casings and portions of a bullet. There was also three entry wounds on the animal, investigators reported.

Harrison said he got Hank when his brother died a few years ago. "He was my brother's dog," Harrison said. "He was just a watch dog. He never bit anybody. People these days are so cruel to animals."

Animal Services requests anyone with information about this case or any case of animal cruelty to call (239) 533-7387 or contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Lee County Domestic Animal Services accepts anonymous complaints.