Missing dog found shot to death in Horry County pond, police report says
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — An investigation is underway after a dead dog with gunshot wounds was recovered from an Horry County pond, according to documents obtained by News13.
Horry County police responded Sunday to a home on Bramblewood Lakes Drive in the Conway area for a dead dog, according to an incident report. The responding officer spoke with the owner, who said his three dogs left his house at about 3 a.m.
Two of the three dogs returned home in a couple of hours, but the third did not, according to the report. The owner told police he spent the majority of the day looking for the dog, but couldn’t find it.
The owner of the dog received a call at about 5:20 p.m. from an unknown man who said he had found the third dog dead in the retention pond near his home on Gravelley Shore Drive, which is the next street over from where the owner lives, the report said.
“He’s such a lovable dog, he has his own personality,” owner JoAnn Luyster said. “He would jump up on our bed and hug my husband, literally put his arms around his neck.”
JoAnn’s husband, TJ, said Ace is an “irreplaceable” dog and one who was smart enough to open front doors if they were left unlocked.
The neighbor who found Ace said he used a fishing rod to retrieve him and called the number on his collar.
TJ told police that when he arrived at the scene, his dog had been removed from the pond and had two visible gunshot wounds on the leg and in the center-top portion of its head, the report shows.
“I look at my dog laying here on my tailgate . . . gone,” TJ said. “He’s got one hole in his right shoulder, and he’s got one right on his forehead. And that was it, I lost it. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t believe this happened in my neck of the woods, two streets from my house.”
The family said the other two dogs haven’t had an appetite and have been quiet.
The wounds appeared to be caused by a small caliber firearm, according to the report. The responding officer took photographs to document the injuries, and environmental services was contacted.
“We’re just waiting to hear what’s going on. I don’t know what to do,” TJ said. “I’d like to go door-knocking, I’d like to . . . if anyone has any information, please let somebody know.”
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News13’s Jackie Librizzi will have a full report on-air on News13 at 6.
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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.
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