Ballykinlar family bereft after dog shot and left near road

Ballykinlar family bereft after dog shot and left near road

21 February 2024

A BALLYKINLAR family have been left “completely devastated” after their pet dog was shot at point-blank range last week.

Storm, a much loved five year-old Labrador, was found dead last Monday – five days after he was reported missing.

Owner Gary Tumelty, says his family have been left heartbroken.

“None of us are really coping well with what’s happened – my children have been absolutely distraught,” he said.

“We had Storm since he was 12 weeks old and he turned five in October. What happened is just disgusting. He was just a playful and harmless dog who didn’t think bad people existed.

Described as a “playful and loving dog”, Storm was a beloved family pet for, his wife, Lynette, and their three children, Emily (15), Niall (13) and 

ten year-old Darragh.

“It’s been heartbreaking,” Gary continued. “He always wanted to socialise with others and he’d curl up beside you if you were sitting down – he was like another child to us.”

Storm was reported missing from the family’s Commons Road after Gary went out to feed him and noticed he wasn’t there.

“He’d wandered off a handful of times beforehand, so I wasn’t too worried,” Gary explained.

“I didn’t think he’d have gone far so I started calling his name but he didn’t appear.”

Gary then drove around the local roads hoping to find the dog, his search extending into the early hours of the morning.

“He was nowhere to be found,” said Gary. “I drove around the roads a few times just in case he may have ran into a field or was looking for something in the bushes but there was no sign of him – I was out to about 1.30am.”

For several days, Gary looked for Storm day and night but there was still no sign of him.

Desperate to find him, Gary started handing out his phone number should anyone have seen him.

“The social media response was enormous,” Gary said. “There were people throughout the area looking for our dog.”

A few days after he was reported missing, Storm was seen on CCTV in various locations.

“We saw the CCTV and there he was smiling away and full of beans,” Gary went on. “He was so sociable and loved people.

“He was a well behaved dog. He never went near sheep – a local farmer said to me that Storm would never bother them.”

Gary was tipped off that a farmer had seen a man walking with Storm with the intent of bringing him to the kennel for lost dogs.

Gary contacted the kennel, but they had not received Storm.

Eventually Gary’s search brought him to Ballydonnell Road, where Storm’s body was found concealed from the main road.

“I was devastated when I found him,” Gary said. “What that person did to our dog was absolutely disgusting – they are a horrible human being.”

Gary believes that he believed the man intended to keep Storm for himself but panicked when he saw the social media campaign to find the dog and return him to his family.

“Everyone was looking for our dog,” Gary said. “I think the person panicked but to do something that cruel, it’s just unimaginable.

“When I found Storm’s body, he’d only been dead for a couple of hours and this was confirmed by a vet later.

“Our dog would never think anyone would hurt him. If he was found by anyone else, he’d be back with us.”

Gary says he is grateful to the police for their support.

“They have been brilliant so far. They will find the person responsible for this,” he added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1063 of February 12, 2024.

South Down MLA Patrick Brown said he was saddened to hear about the death of Storm.

He remarked: “My thoughts are with the dog owner and their family as they try to comprehend this very tragic situation. I urge anyone with information to contact the police.”