- A Munith family says their one-year-old Rottweiler named Zeke didn't come home the Saturday before Christmas.
- Zeke's body was found on Christmas Eve by the side of a desolate road, miles from home, apparently shot.
- The family is asking neighbors if anyone has information about what happened to Zeke.
- WATCH THE VIDEO to see Zeke and hear from his humans.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
A Munith family's dog was found dead by the side of the road … miles from home, apparently shot. I'm your Jackson neighborhood reporter Darius Udrys and I talked to the family wondering who could have done such a thing.
This was Zeke while still alive — a one-year-old Rottweiler — with Amber Keller's son Gunner.
"He loved the snow, he loved to play with sticks, he loved Gunner. Gunner was his human," says Keller — her voice breaking ever so slightly. "Anybody around here, they knew Zeke. Zeke wasn't — he was a baby."
Indeed, a neighbor I spoke with confirmed the dog did not appear to be aggressive.
Keller says Zeke tended to stay close to home, which was why she became immediately concerned when he didn't come home the Saturday before Christmas.
"In the back of my mind, I knew something bad had happened to him," says Keller, "because Zeke doesn't stay gone. He doesn't take off. He doesn't — the furthest he would go is to the neighbors and back."
It was here by the side of Dalton Road that a family friend says he spotted Zeke's body. On Christmas Eve. More than five miles from home. Wounds on his side that appeared to be from bullets.
"Zeke was dumped where he was found," says Keller. "There was no blood trail. There was nothing."
Some neighbors passing by while I was filming said this stretch of Dalton Road is known as a dumping ground..... for anything from old tires to trash.
"I had a friend call me and say 'Amber, there's no way he was hit on Dalton Road...there was no skid marks, there was no loss of hair...'," says Keller.
I reached out to Jackson County Animal Control and spoke with Officer Jeff Lang, who responded to Keller's report. He said the case is perplexing, with little to no information to go on.
Despite posters around Munith and Facebook posts, according to Keller: "Nobody seems to have seen or heard anything."
Officer Lang says if anyone has information, she or he can email Animal Control at animalshelter@mijackson.org.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
