Pit Bull Dies at the Hand of Owner

As soon as I noticed the picture of a dead pit bull lying on the front page of the Union Leader I was so outraged. As I continued to read the story, I learned that someone tied Buster to a tree and shot him multiple times and then left him to die alone in the Auburn woods.

What a horrific act of betrayal it was for Adam Lamotte to take Buster to his favorite Auburn trail on Wednesday night, allow him to run off-leash for awhile without realizing that his freedom would soon end with a gunshot to his head. The gunshot stunned Buster so much that he did not make a sound as he stared into the eyes of his master probably wondering what he had done to deserve such cruelty. To make matters worse, Buster did not die immediately so Lamotte fired the gun two more times until he thought Buster was dead and then left the scene in a panic.

At some point on Saturday, Lamotte, of Manchester, turned himself in at the Auburn Police Department stating that he shot his dog because Buster had been showing signs of separation anxiety and became a menace when family members needed to leave the house. Buster's attacks weren't serious until he bit Lamotte's wrist so severely that he had to rush to the emergency room for stitches. After that incident, Buster was put on Clomicalm, an anti-anxiety medication but the behavior issues continued and as a result 5 year old Buster was murdered.

Apparently, Lamotte did not know how to alleviate Buster’s separation anxiety and needed professional help and if the owner had done some research Buster would still be alive today! 

I shudder to think of the many dogs who have been euthanized, abused, given up for adoption (which isn’t always the worst option), or neglected all because of the owner’s ignorance. Buster suffered in silence, cold and alone in the woods, but his story will live on to remind us that owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility.