Brenda Looney says she rescued a Jack Russell terrier from the rough inner city streets of Kansas City.
"They were literally shooting at him," says Independence resident Looney, who later named the dog Chico. "I begged with them not to shoot him. I said, 'He has feelings, too,' so I took him."
But at 1 year old, Chico died this weekend in Looney's own front yard after an unidentified person hanged the dog from a tree. Looney, who lives in the 1000 block of North Aztec Court, in northeast Independence, says her neighbor notified her of Chico's condition at about 6 a.m. Saturday. When Looney arrived home at about 9:30 p.m. Friday, she says, she left the dog tied up in her backyard, avoiding the area since it was dark.
Looney buried Chico in her backyard Sunday, and stuffed animals surround the tree where Chico was found.
"He was just a protective little dog," she says, sitting in her living room, surrounded by her two other rescued animals – Daisey, a dog, and Colby, a cat. "He was like a little macho man – you know, one of them types."
Independence police are still investigating the situation, Looney says, and she doesn't believe the incident was a hate crime. She says she has a good idea of who hanged Chico. According to other media reports, Chico's death appears as an isolated incident.
"To be honest, yes, I am," she says of whether she is fearful for own life. "I never thought this would've happened. If this person did harm the dog, what else are they capable of? I don't think it should be brushed off as something I did or something Chico did."
