HALL CO. | 2 horses shot, 1 fatally.

AM NOTE: Animal abuse continues to be a big problem throughout the state. Horses have not only been harrassed and abused here in Milton Georgia without any repercussion to the offenders, they are now being shot and killed in other areas of the state. Please support Liberty's Law to help put an end to this cruelty once and for all. You can sign the petition here..

Courtesy 11alive.com

LULA, Ga -- Why would anyone shoot a horse?

That's what a Lula family is asking after finding one of their horses dead and another seriously wounded by gunfire.

The Saxon family owns a cattle and chicken farm on West County Line Road right on the border of Hall and Banks counties. The family also raised three horses. Two of them were shot sometime overnight last Thursday and Friday.

"I mean, we raised them," owner Carroll Saxon said. "We raised them from colts. They're part of the family." On Friday morning, Saxon said his father found Rocks, a Tennessee Walking Horse, dead on the ground in the corner of a pasture along West County Line Road. The horse was shot five times.

"After that, we came up to check on the other horses, and that's when we found one bullet through the neck of (Lucky)," he said.

Cody, Saxon's 12-year-old son, grew up with the horses. "Who would do that?" he asked. "I mean it's totally bad, I couldn't think of anybody doing that to a horse."

But somebody did. Rocks and Lucky were in the pasture when someone shot them for no apparent reason. Saxon said he found a shell casing on the ground next to the road just outside the fence where Rocks lay dead. Someone must have stopped along the road and shot at the animals.

"They need to be caught fast," Saxon said. "They need to be caught fast and brought to justice."
But that will take some help in the way of a tip to the Hall County Sheriff Office, which is investigating the horse shootings.

"Investigators are requesting the public's assistance in developing further information on the case," Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Scott Lilly at 770-531-6879.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kgrowson
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