Police were called to investigate reports of shots being fired within the town limits on Friday after a dog was found dead on Warwick Road with gunshot wounds to the head.
The dog's owner, Brad Evans, was told of the dog's death after a neighbour discovered the dog's body on Warwick Road near the entrance to saleyards.
Mr Evans said that he has no doubt that the dog was intentionally killed, and said that he had received threats to kill the dog two months prior to Friday's incident.
"I was told through Mark Cooper at the pound that there were threats to shoot the dog, two months later the dog was shot," Mr Evans said.
Mr Evans said that he was sure that the shooting was not an accident.
"It was between the eyes, either a very lucky shot or they had him sighted in. It was like a marksman's shot."
Mr Evans said that accusations of the mixed-breed cattle dog chasing stock on private property and at the saleyards were incorrect.
"He was a good dog, very well-behaved. I've got two kids, he's never bitten them. He's never attacked any livestock, he won't even try to kill the family pet rat," Mr Evans said.
"It's a senseless killing. He used to sleep in the same room as me, he was more than just a dog in the backyard."
Mr Evans said that his main concern was for his children's safety and that a gun had fired within the twon limits.
"I told the police that it's not the fact that my dog has been shot, but that someone has pulled out a gun in the town limits and shot an animal on a public street. He wasn't chasing stock on a public road," Mr Evans said.
Police said that they attended numerous properties around the area and talked with all the neighbours after taking Mr Evans' report and that all reasonable avenues of police enquiries had been conducted.
They reported that not one person heard any gunshots overnight in the area and that several people commented that the dog was often seen roaming the streets, entering other people's property, including property containing cattle, and chasing passing pushbike riders.
The local ranger confirmed reports that the dog had been the subject of complaints over a period of time.
Police would like to remind dog owners that they must take all reasonable precautions to prevent the dog from escaping from the property on which it is being kept. If the dog is in a public place they must be under the effective control of a competent person by means of an adequate chain or leash that is attached to the dog and that is being held by or secured to the person.
If a dog enters another person's property, they may lawfully seize the dog if that action is reasonable and necessary for the prevention of damage to property, and they may lawfully seize or destroy a dog if that action is reasonable and necessary for the protection of any person or animal other than vermin from injury or death.
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