Nashville Police Searching For Suspect Who Shot & Killed A Woman’s Pet Dog In Local Park

Absolutely heartbreaking.

A Nashville woman is desperately seeking answers after her beloved pet dog was shot and ultimately died from his injuries while playing at a local park.

According to WSMV, Taylor Hauser and her 9-year old pup, Aspen, were out enjoying the nice weather this weekend at Bordeaux Gardens Park when the dog wandered into a wooded area. But when she returned to her owner moments later, Hauser noticed that Aspen was covered in blood.

It turns out the dog had been shot with a pellet gun, and Hauser rushed her to a veterinarian. But unfortunately, she later found out that the bullet entered her right rib cage and penetrated her diaphragm, pancreas, spleen, and intestines. And despite emergency surgery and 12 hours in critical care, the vet was unable to save Aspen, who ultimately died from the injuries.

It’s a moment that Hauser says will forever haunt her:

“I will never be able to get out my head that she used everything she could to find me after. She came to me to fix it, and I wasn’t able to fix it.”

And the worst part is they still have no idea who shot Aspen in the park.

Hauser has filed a police report with the Metro Nashville Police Department, but so far nobody has been identified or arrested for the horrific crime.

The dog owner’s family is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to a suspect, and in the meantime Hauser has also set up a GoFundMe to try to help cover the unexpected vet bills.

According to the GoFundMe:

“On Saturday, March 22nd Aspen was playing in our neighborhood park when she was shot with a .22 caliber pellet. The bullet entered her right rib cage and penetrated her diaphragm, pancreas, spleen, and intestines. She went through surgery and spent a long 12 hours in critical care until the time came to finally let her rest.

We are asking for help in covering the costs of treatment for this unnecessary and devastating loss. Aspen loved anyone and everyone beyond measure and we are hoping to find who did this and bring legal action against them.”

Absolutely heartbreaking. I can’t even imagine the pain for Hauser, but even worse, knowing that whoever shot that poor innocent dog is still out there.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Metro Nashville Police, and in the meantime, hopefully they’re able to get this sicko off the streets soon.

Unfortunately, it’s not the only tragic story of animal abuse we’ve seen lately. Earlier this month, Alison Agatha Lawrence, a 57-year-old Florida woman, was arrested after she reportedly drowned her own dog and discarded of the deceased pet’s body in a trash can inside the Orlando International Airport.

It’s believed that she took her white poodle into a bathroom and drowned it in the toilet after she was told she’d be unable to board her flight with the dog.

The pooch apparently didn’t have the proper paper work to board the plane, and Lawrence allegedly chose to extinguish the life of her pet rather than calling for a friend or family member to come and pick up the dog. This all happened back in December, and the Orlando Police Department has just now released photos of the woman and her pet shortly before she took it into the airport bathroom.

NEW DETAILS: Photos released by the Orlando Police Department show the moments before officers said a woman went into an airport restroom and drowned her dog in a toilet. Read more: https://t.co/FLKah4treq pic.twitter.com/zJtPQA8a64

— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) March 20, 2025

According to the authorities that have investigated the incident, a janitor later found the dog’s body inside a trash receptacle and informed airport officials – who then passed along the sickening news to the Orlando Police.