Police are investigating the death of a pet horse after the animal was found dead in a paddock in Lovely Banks.
Dane, a 27-year-old horse, was discovered by his owner at about 8am on September 17 after collapsing in a field off Anakie Road with gunshot wounds. He had been seen alive and well the previous night in the paddock at the property.
His owner, a 28-year-old Corio woman, reported the horse’s death to police after finding he had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
Investigators are now trying to establish exactly what happened, including whether Dane was intentionally shot or became the victim of a hunting accident in the area.
Geelong CIU Senior Constable Matthew Brock said the death is “deeply upsetting”.
“This is a deeply upsetting incident for the horse’s owner, who is understandably devastated by the loss of a beloved pet,” he said.
“We are still working to determine exactly what occurred – we are not sure at this stage whether someone deliberately killed this horse or whether it was accidentally shot by hunters in the area.
Police are calling on anyone with information to come forward. They are particularly urging anyone who noticed anything “unusual” to contact investigators, “no matter how insignificant they think that information may seem”.
“If you were travelling through the area and have dashcam footage, we urge you to review it and contact police if you identify anything suspicious,” Mr Brock said.
