TIMBER WAS OUR BABY: Family wants answers after beloved dog is found shot to death
Van Vleck, Texas – It is every pet parent’s worst nightmare. And for one Texas family, it has now become a reality.
Corey Calk says she and her husband, Colbey, found Timber, their beloved dog, dead Wednesday morning with a bullet wound through her forehead. Now, as they search for answers about who shot the dog they called their baby, they are also asking whether Timber’s death could be part of something even more disturbing: other dogs reportedly being shot in their neighborhood.
Corey Calk reached out to us wondering whether we could help. We told her we could get the word out, so here goes.
Corey says the bullet entered through Timber’s forehead, traveled through her body and exited near her rear. She and her husband, Colbey, believe Timber was shot sometime between 4:00 and 7:00 a.m. They say she was still warm when they found her.
The family says there were no road marks, no missing fur consistent with being hit by a vehicle and no broken bones that would explain suggestions that Timber had first been hit by a car. Colbey also reported seeing buggy tracks that circled Timber.
As if Timber’s death weren’t enough, they have even more concern.
Corey says one neighbor told the family that two of her dogs were also shot and killed. Another neighbor reportedly said her dog was shot but survived after reaching a veterinarian.
We do not know whether these incidents are connected but that is exactly why every reported shooting should be formally documented, compared and investigated.
Right now, we have found no public announcement identifying a suspect, confirming an arrest or explaining what happened to Timber. We also have not independently confirmed that law enforcement has opened an active investigation.
Texas law says a person may not commit cruelty to a nonlivestock animal by intentionally, knowingly or recklessly killing an animal in a cruel manner, or by killing an animal without the dog family’s effective consent. Depending on the facts and any applicable defense or exception, those forms of the offense can be prosecuted as a third-degree felony.
Timber was not “just a dog.” She was family. Her death deserves a report, an evidence trail and a serious investigation based on facts, not rumors.
We respectfully ask the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office to document Timber’s death, determine whether evidence can still be preserved, canvass for cameras and witnesses, and compare any other reported dog shootings in the Van Vleck area.
If you live nearby and heard a gunshot, saw a vehicle, noticed a buggy or ATV, or have doorbell, game, trail or security-camera footage from early Wednesday morning, please preserve the original file and contact law enforcement. Do not edit or publicly post possible evidence before investigators can obtain it.
Do not publicly accuse anyone. Do not contact or confront a suspected person. Share verified information directly with law enforcement.
Resources on how you can help in the pinned comment below. ↓
#JusticeForTimber#animalwarrior#TheRealPaulMueller
Sources: Corey Calk’s public account; Matagorda County; Texas Legislature; SPCA of Texas
Fair use. Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.