Police, family seek man who stabbed two dogs, killing one
Its every dog owner's worst nightmare, and it came true for a Wellington family last week when an apparent stranger brutally killed one of their dogs and injured another in their backyard. Days after the attack, they're asking why, and hoping someone can identify the suspect.
Brisa Morales woke Tuesday morning to find a bloody scene in her home.
"We weren't sure what happened and then we went outside and saw our dog just dead right here on the corner," says Morales.
Her family's two Belgian Malinois, Jax and Diesel, had been attacked. Diesel was wounded, and Jax was killed.
Shocked, Morales went through security footage from the night before to see a man she didn't recognize call the dogs over and stab them through the fence. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office says the stabbing took place between 10:30 and 11:10 p.m. on August 29.
"I wasn't too sure what to do. I've never been in a situation like that but it was very hard. It was harder knowing someone could have done that to him," Morales said.
Before taking Diesel to the vet, Morales called the police, and broke the news to her mother.
"She told me that she feels dead inside. She suffers from major depression from another traumatic event, and Jax, the dog that was killed, is her support dog," says Wellington resident Jennifer Huether. Huether reached out to the family after hearing what happened.
"I'm a dog lover and I'm involved with dog rescue, and it really upset me and i wanted to help however I could," she said.
Huether started an online fundraiser for the family's vet bills, and a reward for information on the suspect.
"Typically, we know that people that do these kinds of things to animals, it's not that far of a stretch before they're doing it to people, or already have," says Huether.
It's a fear that is on the Morales family's minds as well.
"We're scared that he might come back and try to hurt me or someone else, and we don't let our dogs out unless were here," says Morales.
As they try to heal, Diesel now licks his wounds alone in the yard he once shared with his brother Jax.
"I hope they do catch him because I don't want him to hurt our other dog or even someone else. But even if they do catch him, nothing's going to bring back our dog," Morales says.
Officers describe that suspect as a white male between 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-2, possibly associated with a motorcycle with an Arkansas license plate. If you know anything about this incident, call Investigator Johnston with the Larimer County Sheriff's Department at 970-498-5509.
