Search underway for possible Amador County dog killer after family pet found dead in driveway
PIONEER — An Amador County family hopes the community will have their answer as to who could have killed their beloved family pet in their front yard.
The family arrived to their home in Pioneer last week after going out for dinner. Oso, a four-year-old Labrador-Husky mix, was in his usual spot, but instead of a wagging tail and barks to welcome the family home on the other side of their gate, he was down on the ground.
This sent off alarm bells for Serina Palumbo, who got out of the car calling Oso's name. He didn't move.
What she found was a small wound on the dog's neck, later described by the Amador County Sheriff's Office as consistent with a pellet or small caliber bullet. She immediately called the department for help, hoping they could piece together how their four-legged family member ended up dead in their driveway.
"I do feel very uneasy that someone would feel comfortable shooting towards my house, where my kids play outside every day," Palumbo said.
Palumbo said their family has gone door-to-door asking neighbors for any surveillance video that may show a suspicious car or person approaching their gate around the time that Oso was killed.
She said neighbors have been devastated by the loss of the dog, who moved in to the home on Meadowmont Drive in Pioneer with the family as a puppy in 2020.
The family's next-door neighbor believes he heard the killing last Wednesday, according to Palumbo, but thought it was the sounds of kids outside. He said that afterward, his own dog was pacing inside the house and he felt something was off but didn't hear a gunshot. To learn that the dog died, Palumbo said, hurt more than just their family.
"It's mind-boggling that someone would even do this," Palumbo said.
The Amador County Sheriff's Office will perform a necropsy on the dog's body to determine the exact cause of death.
In the meantime, residents in the area are being urged by the sheriff's office to review security camera video for people or vehicles that may be of interest.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information by calling the Amador Secret Witness line at (209) 223-4900. A reward may be available for information leading to the arrest and arraignment of those involved, according to the Amador County Sheriff's Office post about the incident.
