CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - A family is asking for answers after their dog was shot in the Chesterfield Township neighborhood.
The dog, a 2 year old pitbull husky mix named Stella, was shot around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 23 in the area of 24 Mile Road and Walnut Drive, authorities said.
The dog was found dead by her owners of a single gunshot wound.
According to an article by WXYZ, Jesse Young let Stella out into the family’s backyard and about 20 minutes later, found her on the back porch covered in blood.
"My husband called me and said that 'Stella’s home, somebody has shot her and she is dying on our back porch,'" Chelsea Young said in the article by WXYZ. “I never want anybody to feel what I felt in that moment.”
Chesterfield Police said Stella was shot with a handgun, according to the WXYZ article.
The family said their home is located near the Great Oaks Elementary School, which makes the shooting more concerning.
“Somebody shot and killed my dog, but it comes down to more than that,” Chelsea Young told WXYZ. “My kids run these woods and they should have every right to play in my backyard without any scare, any worry. And they took that from us.”
The family told WXYZ that they aren’t sure who shot Stella or where the shooting occurred, but “even after being shot, Stella made her way back home to say goodbye to her family one last time.”
“She ran back home,” Chelsea Young said in the article. “She knew where she needed to be. She wanted to be home where she was loved the most, and she knew that.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Walsh at 586-949-3657.