Stanley nursery owner offers $20k reward after dog shot on property

A Stanley farmer has offered a $20,000 reward after his family dog Daisy was shot just metres behind him on his property. Tom Powell was driving in his all-terrain vehicle at his plant nursery on Thursday 15 May about 8:40am when he heard all nine of his dogs metres behind him howl in distress. A bullet had struck one of the dogs, a three to four-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer Daisy, through the back of her leg, chipping her hip bone and exiting through her abdomen. Two staff members were also on site weeding garlic in the nursery’s potted tree area while two customers were nearby waiting for Mr Powell. Family members and grandchildren were also on the property. The nursery owner said he lodged a report with police and an investigation was underway, but no evidence had been discovered yet in relation to the suspected shooting. The family initially offered a $5000 reward for information leading to a conviction, and has since ramped up the offering due to concerns about community safety. "You're on your property in your backyard at our public nursery where we have customers, we have staff, we have kids, grandkids running around, and then you have a random bullet just come onto your property and shoot the dog just where you're riding the motorbike just behind you," Mr Powell said. “A builder on the house next door said the ruckus was that bad that he heard it 200 metres away." After receiving $2700 worth of vet care, Daisy had been recovering well but may need additional surgery to remove bullet fragments from the wound. “But the money's not important really, I would rather have a dog by my side than most people… they’re just part of the family,” Mr Powell said. Since updating the reward, Mr Powell said he had received calls from people who have ideas about what happened and are curious on the matter, but no hard evidence has come forward yet. He said he feared the shooting may have been deliberate, after the family was subject to a string of complaints over the past decade in relation to the business. Mr Powell said he believed the shot could have come from the Beechworth-Stanley Road area, based on the trajectory of Daisy’s bullet wound. The family had previous success when turning to social media around four years ago with a reward after $20,000 worth of bikes and tools were stolen from their property. Mr Powell said the community call-out generated important information. A Victoria Police spokesperson said officers were making further enquiries in relation to the incident and they were ongoing. Anyone with information or dashcam/CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Stanley nursery owner offers $20k reward after dog shot on property

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