POCATELLO — Four days after an unidentified man shot and killed his pet, Chris Mickelsen is still angry and he’s determined to find the man, who he said stepped out of a pickup truck and shot Gunner, a 7-year-old golden Labrador Sunday.

    Mickelsen’s sister, Andrea Mickelsen, said the family buried Gunner at their parents’ home. Andrea said the incident was particularly difficult for Chris, who just last month discovered human remains at McTucker Pond in the same area where Gunner was killed. Bingham County authorities believe the remains were those of a 2009 drowning victim, but a positive identification has not been made.

    “Chris has just had a terrible year,” Andrea said.

    Chris and two friends were hunting ducks and geese in the Springfield area Sunday. The men winged a goose and as it fell toward the road, Chris and Gunner headed over to retrieve the bird. Gunner was about 50 yards ahead of Chris when a white, Dodge, flatbed truck stopped on the road and the driver stepped out of the vehicle. At first, Chris said he thought the man was going to shoot the wounded goose, but instead he shot Gunner. Chris yelled at the shooter who got back in the truck and sped away.

    “I was just devastated and really sad. We have a lot of kids in the family and they all loved Gunner. Chris has an 8-month old son and he could pull on the dog’s ears and crawl on him and Gunner didn’t mind, he was very protective of the baby,” Andrea said. “The guy just point blank, got out and shot him. He didn’t mistake him for a coyote because Gunner was wearing an orange hunter’s vest.”

    Chris was unable to get a license plate number, or a good description of the man. He rushed Gunner to the Hawthorne Animal Hospital in Pocatello, but Gunner bled to death. Chris was close enough to the shooter to determine that a handgun was used to kill his dog. Chris has had the hunting dog since it was a puppy.

    Andrea said the family received 2,000 messages on Facebook following Gunner’s death.

    According to Andrea, they have a good lead to a house where the same kind of truck is parked.

    Andrea said they’ve forwarded all leads to the sheriff’s office. If the tips do not lead to a suspect, Andrea said the family is working to come up with a reasonable reward for information in the case.

    Responding by email Thursday, Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland said deputies were on the lookout for the vehicle that Chris described, but without a license plate number it will be difficult to find.

    Rowland said animal killings are unusual in Bingham County except when livestock is being chased.

    “We do not handle many incidents like this one in particular. I can’t even imagine going hunting and someone stopping on the side of the road and shooting my dog. I am a dog lover,” Rowland wrote in an email. “I have talked to my resident officer about this incident. I am hoping that the public can help us identify the suspect on this case.”

    It will be up to the prosecutor to decide if criminal charges would be filed in the case, Rowland said.

    Rowland said pet owners can protect their animals by keeping them at home, but for Gunner, a well-trained, well-behaved hunting companion, that advice does not apply.

    The Journal also received dozens of comments on the story, which was posted Wednesday.

    “My husband stopped and talked to ‘Chris’ shortly after this happened. It was no accident. Whoever it was intended on killing the dog and sped off. My husband spent a few hours driving around trying to find the jerk. They were not able to catch up to the pal that did this,” wrote Ashley Ohnheiser Ayotte.

    “Sad thing is, this wasn’t the only hunting companion shot during this year’s hunting season here in our area. There was another dog shot, with an arrow, a month or so ago. That person hasn’t been caught,” Jason Byrd wrote Wednesday.