MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A family in Marion County is searching for the person responsible for shooting and killing their dog.
Ziek, a 10-year-old shepard-chow mix, was found shot in the head on railroad tracks near Highway 316 and Jacksonville Road in Citra.
"It just seems like a simple act of cruelty that someone just shot him and I don't know why," said Madelyn Parker, the dog's owner.
On Friday night, Parker and her fiancé returned home and noticed Ziek was missing from their fenced yard, yet their other dog was still there. They searched for hours that night and started searching again the next morning.
It was Parker's parents who found the dog on the railroad tracks a mile from their home.
"He was on the railroad tracks with a bullet in his head," Parker said. "I saw him laying there and it just killed me. How could anyone could do that?"
Deputies were called out and, according to Parker, because no witnesses have come forward, there isn't much they can do.
Parker said Ziek went to obedience school and was K-9 companion certified, meaning he was trained to be around people. She's had him since he was 6 weeks old and said he always stayed close to her side. She doesn't believe he wandered outside of their yard or got lost.
"He's not an aggressive dog. He's friendly, which makes me think someone called him over," Parker said. "He would go with anyone that called him."
Parker has been putting up flyers anywhere she can, hoping someone with information will come forward.
"We may never find this person and I know that, but the fact that we can get this out there makes me feel a little bit better," she said.
Parker said there is a reward being offered for information leading to the person who killed Ziek. Anyone with any information can call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 352-732-8181 or email justiceforziek@gmail.com.
Click here to donate to Ziek's cause.