Shane Hilliard had been out in the field before. The open, bare area was perfect for playing fetch with his four-year-old Labrador, Tilika.
"Get her a little bit tired before the fireworks started. She doesn't like fireworks," said Hilliard.
It was around 3pm Tuesday when two people driving ATVs suddenly approached. Hilliard describes them as wearing full riding gear with helmets and gloves.
"I wasn't worried about them being there," he said. "I just thought they were going to ride on by and that's not what happened."
What happened is so random, so senseless, that the family is still in utter disbelief. Hilliard says one of the drivers stopped about 10 feet from his dog, pulled out a pistol and shot her.
The dog began crying, he says, and not long after, a second shot was fired.
"They saw me. There was no mistake. They murdered her," said Hilliard. "That's just the only way to put it. They murdered my dog."
Hilliard ran behind his truck for cover as the ATV drivers sped off. He was so shocked he didn't have time to run after them. But if he could see them again, he'd tell them this.
"You took away part of my heart," he said. "She wasn't just a dog. She was my dog."
The family has reported the shooting to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and we're told they are investigating. They are hoping someone in the area knows who did this and would come forward.
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