Gunman slays kids' puppy and escapes

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A South Valley brother and sister are heartbroken as Bernalillo County deputies hunt for the gunman who shot and killed the kids' puppy in front of their home Sunday night.

On Monday there was still blood on the ground where the dog named Snoopy collapsed and died.

“What's wrong?" Ismael Gonzalez told KRQE News 13. “Why did they kill a dog? It did nothing wrong to them.”

According to Bernalillo County deputies the 1-year-old Chihuahua was in the front yard of the mobile home in 5000 Coors Blvd. SW at around 10 p.m. Sunday when two people walked by. One of them shot the dog, and both took off heading east.

The family called 911 and was able to provide some information about the shooter and his companion.

“Who was able to provide some very good information," sheriff's Lt. David Knowles said. "We had virtually the whole squad over there.”

Gonzalez described deputies searching the area east of Desert Palms Mobile Home Park around and along a ditch bank and bringing in their own dogs.

“We did find some tracks that led from the mobile-home park down a ditch bank that did disappear into the Valley Gardens area," Knowles said.

Valley Gardens is east of Coors Boulevard and south of Gun Club Road.

The crime is considered extreme cruelty to animals, which could send the shooter to jail, Knowles said.

“If someone is out there doing this senseless, cowardice act of shooting a dog, a puppy no less they, they are also involved in some other criminal activity,” Knowles said. “The entire squad last night wanted to try and make it right and to get someone in jail and have some justice for the family and for the community down there."

Gonzalez isn't just sad. He's also ticked off at the killers.

“They're wussies," he said.

Gonzalez told News 13 he thinks the attack was random since no one would have a reason to go after his dog.

He also said he and his sister want to get another puppy and that he would like to name it Snoopy.