Community on edge after horse shot in head

A horse shot and killed in Cherokee County has a community on edge.  The horse, named Toby, was found Friday morning.

The Cherokee County Marshal's Office says the horse was being boarded at the Stables at Union Hill in Canton.  The horse, along with some others, had been taken down the street to the pasture around 7:30 a.m.

"A witness noticed the animal laying in the pasture, she thought it was odd, when she came back by the horse was still there, she walked up to the fence and saw the wound in the head and notified the trainers at the facility," said Sgt. Matt McMullen with the Cherokee County Marshal's Office.

"It's sad, don't know why anybody would do something like that," said neighbor Kevin Connelly.

The horse has been sent to UGA for a necropsy, which authorities hope will be able to answer a lot of questions.

"We're hoping to get information on the caliber and maybe on the closeness of range," said Sgt. McMullen.

The 8-year-old Irish Sport was a show horse that meant a lot to the young girl who owned him. Many in the equestrian community, as well as neighbors, are now wondering who could do something so heartless.

"Anyone who would do something like that to be mean, deserves to be caught," said Connelly.

This has affected the equestrian community far and wide.  The city of Milton, which has a large number of horse families, put out a bulletin warning people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious and to keep a close eye on their animals. There is a $15,000 reward for the conviction of the person who shot the horse.

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