HAMPTON, Va. — A Hampton family is searching for answers after the family's dog was shot and killed.
“He was outside with her and it still happened. It was instant," Aster Rose-Harren said
On October 24, Rose-Harren’s husband, Owen, let their dog, Eris, who they adopted in April, outside not knowing it would be the last time.
Home surveillance video they shared with News 3 shows Eris going through a hole in a fence after seeing an unknown person walk through. Two seconds later, a gunshot is heard and their dog can be heard yelping.
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The shooting, however, can't be seen in the video. Owen just wants to know why Eris was shot.
“I thought she was kicked, and I wouldn’t have been so mad about that, because I don’t know what you’re doing on the other side of the fence. Maybe she did screw up. Scream, yell, ask whose dog it is. There’s dozens of other people outside. I was outside. I didn’t hear anything," Owen said.
“He could’ve shot the ground next to her," Aster interjected. “He could’ve shot in the air," Owen continued.
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For Aster, Eris was more than just a dog. She was a source of emotional support.
“I had postpartum depression and it had gotten really bad. I was hospitalized for a little bit and something they suggested was getting a pet to help me feel safe," Aster explained.
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Owen walked News 3 through what happened after Eris was shot.
After about 10 seconds, the video shows Eris coming back through the fence, still yelping. She lays down on the ground, then gets up and limps to the family’s back deck where she died.
The Harrens are now worried about their own safety and wonder if they want to keep living there.
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“It doesn’t feel like home here anymore," said Aster.
They said they called 911 when Eris was shot and police responded, but as of Wednesday weren’t sure where the investigation stood. News 3 called police to find out. A spokesperson said investigators did collect some evidence, but as of Wednesday they were at a standstill because they didn’t have any suspect information.
