Family's beloved dog found shot, impaled in woods

The Henrique family wasn't too worried at first when their 3-year-old coonhound, Bo, went missing in their neighborhood on Tuesday.

Steven and Taylor Henrique, however, became increasingly worried as time went by, and they began searching the woods behind the house in groups.

Eventually, on Thursday, they found Bo on a trail near the high-tension power lines over the Norton town line.

"He was dead when we found him," said Taylor Henrique. "Initially, it looked like he was impaled by a stick, like ran into a stick, was running off from something."

When Steven Henrique got Bo home, he soon realized that wasn't the dog's only injury. He found out someone had shot the family dog.

"I had to carry him about a half-mile out of the woods, and that’s when I felt a lump, and when we got home, I ended up removing it and finding the bullet that was in his back," said Steven Henrique.

While the wooded area is popular with hunters, the Henriques were suspicious about the two very different injuries and began questioning if someone had intentionally hurt Bo.

"It just changed the feeling of the whole thing," said Steven Henrique. "I mean, we were thinking an accident. It was tough, but this was actually harder.”

"Right now we’re just in complete shock," said Taylor Henrique. "Obviously very, very sad, and we just want answers."

As Norton police continue to investigate, the Henriques are pleading for information, saying they want to know who happened to their pet and who is responsible.

"We just want to find the person and just get a little more peace, closure," said Taylor Henrique.

At the same time, they've had to explain to their young children that the dog they love so much isn't coming back home, after their 5-year-old asked his parents if they could get Bo back for Christmas.

Norton police are working with the animal cruelty division of the state police.

They're asking anyone with information to come forward.