‘It was traumatic’; man who found dog shot and left in Shuswap parking lot speaks out

WARNING: Some viewers may find an image in this story disturbing.

NEAR CELISTA — It’s an already devastating time for a Shuswap snowmobiler’s club with the loss of one of its members in an avalanche earlier this month.

That’s why finding a dog, shot and left for dead in the parking lot was even more distressing for Stephen Moore, who works at the Crowfoot Mountain Snowmobile Association, and found the dog Sunday morning.

“I had a little anxiety attack and I was quiet upset, after what happened last week it was just… It was traumatic. I was heart-broken, I was pissed off. I was in shock, I don’t know. I was just feeling a whole lot of things and none of them were good,” says Moore.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I had a little anxiety attack and I was quiet upset, after what happened last week it was just… It was traumatic. I was heart-broken, I was pissed off. I was in shock, I don't know. I was just feeling a whole lot of things and none of them were good," says Moore.

Police are investigating the incident and say the dog was found around 8:30 a.m.

“When I discovered the dog, the blood was still draining out of him. It hadn’t even coagulated… the dog was still soft and barely even cold.”

“I was very upset . very mad that someone would do that to a beautiful animal,” says Moore.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I was very upset . very mad that someone would do that to a beautiful animal," says Moore.

There were no ink markings or tags on the dog but RCMP do have a license plate from a vehicle that left the area earlier Sunday morning.

READ MORE: Dog shot in head and left in Shuswap parking lot; Chase RCMP investigating

The BC SPCA say its within the law to euthanize your pet as long as it is done humanely and it is possible for a shooting death to legally be considered humane.

The BC SPCA is sending a constable to Celista to pick up the dog’s body so a necropsy can be done.

Police told Global News the dog wasn’t tortured before he was shot and killed.

“What I’m not happy about and what should be the greater concern is the fact that [someone] would take the animal and dump it on a Sunday morning in a public place where people come with their families and kids to play in the snow,” says Moore.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What I'm not happy about and what should be the greater concern is the fact that [someone] would take the animal and dump it on a Sunday morning in a public place where people come with their families and kids to play in the snow," says Moore.

Moore says it was his colleague, the president of the snowmobile club, who saw a vehicle in the parking lot early Sunday morning. A picture was taken of the vehicle, including the license plate, and given to RCMP.

Moore says it is unusual to have a car in the parking lot so early, before 7 a.m..

~ With files from Megan Turcato and Justin McElroy

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