Labrador Shot Dead With Pellet Gun: Police Investigate Man in Spanish Village

A Pet Killed in Cold Blood

The fatal shooting occurred in a rural town within the Campo de Peñafiel region of Valladolid. According to Spain’s Civil Guard, a local resident is being investigated for allegedly shooting and killing a Labrador with a compressed air rifle.

The case came to light after the dog’s owner filed a report with the Guardia Civil station in Tudela de Duero. The woman brought with her a necropsy report from the University of León’s Veterinary Faculty, which confirmed the horrifying truth: her dog had died from a single shot to the chest.

A Pellet to the Heart

The necropsy revealed that a 4.5 mm pellet had pierced the dog’s chest and lodged directly in its heart, causing a massive internal hemorrhage. The injury was incompatible with life, according to the report, and the animal likely died shortly after the shooting.

Veterinary experts confirmed the projectile was consistent with a shot from a compressed air weapon, a type of rifle that is widely available and often used for small-game hunting or target shooting—but is just as capable of causing fatal injuries.

Conflict and Clues: Police Seize the Weapon

The investigation quickly led authorities to a suspect who had previous conflicts with the dog’s owner. The Civil Guard conducted a search and seized the air rifle believed to have been used in the shooting.

The weapon is now in the hands of the judicial authorities as evidence. The case has been forwarded to the local court, where the man could face charges under Spain’s animal cruelty and firearms laws.

An Ongoing Investigation—and a Call for Justice

The Civil Guard has not ruled out additional legal consequences. The case remains open, and the emotional impact of the loss is still fresh for the dog's owner and neighbors in the small community.

Animal advocates have condemned the violence, calling for stricter penalties and greater awareness of the dangers posed by air guns when used irresponsibly.

This heartbreaking case is yet another reminder that violence against animals must be taken seriously—and that justice must be pursued, even in the quietest corners of the countryside.

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