Family looking for answers after beloved dog shot

Matthews and her family moved to the rural property roughly two years ago. She described Arlo as a happy, protective dog who loved spending his days patrolling the property and keeping watch over the people he loved.

According to Matthews, she arrived home around 12:45 p.m. on August 25 and initially noticed Arlo lying in the driveway, something she said was not unusual. But when he didn’t greet her as he normally would, she quickly realized something was wrong.

After getting out of her vehicle, Matthews found her dog badly injured and struggling to breathe.

“I noticed that he was covered in blood,” she recalled.

Matthews immediately contacted Birchwood Veterinary Hospital and began the nearly 25-minute drive into Prince George. She says she lifted the 120-pound dog into her van and spent the trip desperately trying to keep him alive while also comforting her young daughter.

“The whole drive to the vet, I just kept, like, yelling at him to, like, Arlo. Just hold on, hold on, buddy. Just like, just hang on for a few minutes, like, we’re almost there,” she said.

Despite those efforts, Arlo did not survive the trip.

Matthews says veterinary staff met her upon arrival, but it was already too late.

“I remember that moment of them telling me that he was gone and I just collapsed to the floor and I just sobbed,” she said.

In a social media post that has since been shared widely throughout the Prince George community, Matthews described the pain of losing a dog she considered family.

She said finding Arlo injured in the driveway and racing him to the veterinarian was one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. She also wrote about the heartbreak of trying to explain the loss to her young daughter, who continues to ask where her dog has gone.

As the family grieves, they are also trying to understand exactly what happened.

Matthews said witness information suggests Arlo was just outside the family’s driveway on Muermann Road when he was shot. She said witnesses reported hearing him barking before the shooting occurred.

The family has also been working to identify a red SUV reportedly seen in the area around the time of the incident.

In her social media appeal, Matthews said a witness observed a red SUV parked along Muermann Road at approximately 12:15 p.m. with its rear hatch open. The witness reported seeing at least one person associated with the vehicle and possibly two occupants.

“We are looking for a RED SUV that was seen parked on Muermann Rd at approximately 12:15 with the hatch open,” Matthews wrote. “Please anyone who is in the Pilot Mountain area check cameras. We have questions for these individuals.”

She is asking anyone who may have been driving in the area or who has surveillance footage from August 25 to review their cameras and come forward with any information that may help paint a clearer picture of what happened.

Prince George RCMP have confirmed that the dog’s owner has contacted police and provided information regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, support for the Matthews family has poured in from across the community. Matthews says she has received countless messages from strangers, friends and fellow pet owners who have shared her posts and offered condolences.

She says that support has been meaningful during an incredibly difficult period.

Still, Matthews says what her family wants most is answers.

“It would just mean closure,” she said. “I think in this kind of situation, it’s really hard to move on when answers are left unanswered.”

For now, the Matthews family continues to navigate the heartbreak left behind by Arlo’s death. While the pain of losing a beloved member of their family remains, Matthews says they are holding onto hope that someone will come forward with the information needed to bring closure to those who loved him most.

by Nick Dube

Family looking for answers after beloved dog shot

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