An Abiquiu man is searching for answers in the mysterious shooting of his dog on County Road 62.

David Fant has distributed posters in the Santa Fe area regarding the June 8 shooting, which claimed the life of his pit bull mix, Playboy. Fant says he was parked on the side of County Road 62 that night and was allowing his dog to run free in the immediate area. Around 10 pm, he noticed several trucks leave the area, driving toward Santa Fe, each a few minutes apart. The third truck that passed him turned around and came back, and someone fired a shot from the truck that struck the dog between the eyes.

County Road 62 comes off 599 and is near the Santa Fe County Animal Shelter.

The is an excerpt from an account Fant wrote of the incident for SFR:

"He was laying on his left side, head slightly tilted forward. I got out of the car and ran towards him, headlights illuminating us. Perhaps he was wounded and I could save him. I called his name...PLAYBOY. No movement. I put my hands on him. No movement. No visible wounds to his body that I saw. Then I lifted his head...A single gunshot right between his still open eyes. He was dead."

Fant believes the vehicle was a white, newish full-size Chevy pickup without a lift kit. He tried to intercept the truck on foot as it left the area, but the driver didn't stop. The truck windows were tinted, so he doesn't know how many people were in the truck.

Fant was surprised by the response he received from law enforcement when he dialed 911 a few minutes later. A Santa Fe County Sheriff's Deputy was dispatched out but didn't make a report, saying the incident would be handled by animal control, Fant says.

"I found the whole response from authorities to be a little bizarre," Fant says.

The deputy that responded to the call seemed to be interrogating him about what he was doing rather than investigating the case, Fant says, and didn't put out a "be on the lookout" request to dispatch based on the description of the assailant's truck.

Sheriff Robert Garcia confirms that a deputy did respond to the call and didn't make a report because he was referring the case to animal control.

"I need to check into this matter, because on my part that's not acceptable," Garcia says. 

In the meantime, Fant is hoping someone will come forward with information about the incident based on the location and vehicle description.