MSP investigate possible shooting of Buckley family dog

Mardi Link, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·2 min read
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Feb. 9—BUCKLEY — Michigan State Police officers are investigating an animal abuse complaint after a local family reported their black Labrador retriever, Bear, was shot and killed.

Samantha Olds said Bear was missing from the family's West County Line Road property last Friday evening, when she, her husband, Justin, and a few friends went searching for him, found blood on the ground and called police.

"The blood that we found was accompanied by his tracks going into a neighboring property," Olds said. "Later, we found blood across the road, too."

MSP Lt. Derrick Carroll on Thursday said troopers responded to a Wexford County home Feb. 4, although he declined to provide further details citing the active nature of the investigation.

Wexford County Sheriff Lt. Richard Dennison said county animal control officers were in contact with MSP, and would assist in the investigation if needed.

Olds said Bear was wearing a collar and tags; Michigan criminal code states it is illegal for anyone other than a law enforcement officer to injure or attempt to kill a dog with a current license.

A possible exception, according to the statute, is if a dog is killing livestock, although there's no indication that is what happened.

Olds said she hopes police make an arrest and learn why Bear was killed; in the meantime, she's said she's been heartened by the outpouring of support.

"Buckley is a small community," she said. "When something happens, we rally."

Several residents of this rural and tight-knit community said the 7-year-old dog was gentle and friendly, a fixture at neighborhood gatherings, a pet people knew on sight.

"I don't even know Samantha, but my daughter uses her horse trailer; she knew Bear and she said he was just a super sweet dog," said Heather Bradley, co-owner with her husband, Will Bradley, of an area restaurant, Common Grounds Kitchen & Tap.

"I have dogs, a lot of people around here have dogs, we just want to do something," Bradley said.

The Bradleys are collecting donations at their Mesick restaurant on Eugene Street to hire a local artist to paint an original portrait of Bear as a gift to the Olds.

Bradley said Andy McQuillen, who specializes in pet portraits, will be tasked with creating the gift once $200 has been raised.

Other support has been of the traditional variety — phone calls, texts and letters.

Olds said she received more than 40 handwritten letters, tributes to Bear, from friends, family members and strangers, in response to a post about Bear's death she put on social media.

"We've had a ton of people reaching out — not just from Buckley but from Kingsley, Mesick, from all over," Olds said. "Bear's spirit touched a lot of people."