KNOX COUNTY, Ohio -- A family is hurting after two of their dogs were shot and killed two days after Christmas.
A third puppy is still missing.
NBC 4's Matt Alvarez reported on the story of a family who wants justice and their puppy to return home.
"I've seen a lot of things, but it was pretty bad for me to see. It just looked like a homicide scene," the pets' owner said.
Rufus, a Great Dane, and Blacky, a labradoodle or mix, were discovered by the pet owner's son-in-law in a cornfield.
Rufus had two gunshot wounds; Blacky had one.
The incident happened during the last weekend of deer-hunting season.
The pets' owner said it looked like the dogs were shot at close-range.
"They weren't far away. This wasn't an accident," he said.
A third pet, a Labrador-shepherd mix puppy named Polar, ran off and remained missing Wednesday.
"These dogs are like family to us," the owner said. "My mother is devastated. They were her life."
The owner's daughter wrote a letter to the dogs' killer: If you're hunting and you can't tell the difference between a black dog and a deer, maybe you shouldn't be hunting at all.
"They were like family. I was heartbroken," the owner said.
"You ain't got a heart if you treat animals like that," he said.
Anyone with information on the case was encouraged to call Knox County Animal Control at 740- 393-6713.
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information in this developing story.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
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