On 1/3/16, Cope & Penny were shot by a neighbor in Valley Acres, CA.  Their owners received a call from the neighbor letting them know they had gotten out of the yard and were at their house.  They ran down the street to get them, but by the time they got there, Cope was dead on the side of the road, shot at close range with a 20-gauge shotgun.  Penny got scared and ran off, but he chased her down in a residential area and shot her, too.  She was rushed to the vet, where she was euthanized due to the extent of her wounds.

The man who shot Cope and Penny said he thought they were pit bulls, and that they were in a dog fight with his Yorkie.  No one has seen this Yorkie, and to our knowledge, this man didn't take any dog to a vet.  A witness says Cope & Penny were seen in a yard playing nicely with Pomeranian's right before the shooting occurred; she insists they weren't aggressive.

Penny and Cope were beloved family members, known in the community.  Their only crime was escaping their yard that day, and heading to this man's home, where they had often stayed with relatives prior to this man moving in.  To date, this man hasn't been fined or charged with anything.

We, the undersigned, ask that this man be charged with Animal Cruelty to the fullest extent under California law.  Stating that he thought they were pit bulls shows he maliciously and intentionally shot Cope and Penny, and inflicted unnecessary and unjustifiable pain and suffering.  He should also be charged with willfully discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner.

#‎justice4CopenPenny‬

For updates & to read the story in the family's own words, please follow Justice 4 Cope & Penny.