KYLE, Texas — The Kyle Police Department continues to investigate the death of a dog that was shot and killed in the backyard of its home while the owners were away.
Dahlia — a 7-year-old, black labrador — was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 21 on New Bridge Drive in the Waterleaf Neighborhood in Kyle.
Dahlia’s owner, Caleb Cooper, said they were visiting his parents for Christmas, but decided not to take the dogs this year.
“We’ll just leave them behind, keep it low stress that way, and that’s my biggest regret,” Cooper said.
Cooper said his brother was checking on the dogs every day while they were away and it was no different on Dec. 20. when they were checked on around 5 or 6 p.m.
“He saw them and Dahlia is always the first one to greet you,” Cooper said. “He said they’re having a great time.”
The dogs were in the house when they heard a noise coming from the backyard. Cooper said they have a doggy door that lets them in and out of the home, and when the dogs went to investigate the noise, they allegedly encountered unfriendly strangers.
“For the first time ever, my dogs acted out and did what they’re trained to do … to protect if needed,” Cooper said.
According to Cooper, two of his dogs ended up with slash wounds and cuts on their faces and bodies. However, it was Dahlia, their small, black lab, who was shot multiple times in the head and chest. She was found dead less than 12 hours later on the back porch.
“There’s parts of me that wishes I was there because I think I could have done something … I could have at least seen her before and comforted her in the end,” Cooper said. “But at the same time too, it terrifies me because what if it was my daughter? What if it was my wife?”
Cooper said his dogs are well-trained and well-loved by their community and doesn’t know why someone would do this. His family and the other dogs have not been the same since they’ve lost Dahlia.
“Please don’t think that it was a victimless crime. You’ve hurt not just me, but you’ve hurt my whole family, you hurt my neighborhood,” Cooper said. “There’s no amount of stuff, there’s no amount of anything, that’s worth this.”
Now the Cooper family is asking for the public’s help in bringing justice to Dahlia.
“If you know anything, anything, even if you think it won’t help, please give it to the cops. Pass it on. I need to know why. I need closure and I want to know our neighborhood is safe,” Cooper said.
Kyle City Councilman Miguel Zuniga says he lives in the Waterleaf neighborhood. In a statement, he told KVUE that he feels for the Cooper family and the pain of losing a loved family pet. He also wants to stress the importance of the community cooperating with police in reporting illegal criminal activity.
If you have any information or videos of the shooting, you’re asked to call Kyle police at 512-268-3232. Hays County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.