October 13, 2011 - Houston police are asking for the public's help in solving the separate killings of a family's two dogs and horse.

On October 3, one dog, a collie named "Little Buddy," was found shot to death. On October 7, another dog, a Rottweiler named "P.J." was discovered poisoned. Last Saturday morning (Oct. 8), family members found their mare, Angel, stabbed to death. All three killings occurred overnight at the family's home in the 2000 block of Charles Road in northeast Houston.

"We don't know why this family is being targeted," said HPD Sergeant Virginia Brasher at a news briefing today (Oct. 13) on the cases. "There are no other reports of incidents like this in the area," she added.

Likewise, the family has no explanation for why it has lost the beloved pets that family members describe as being very friendly.

"We are a very quiet and close family who live in a quiet neighborhood," said Lucy Garcia, adding she's lived there since she was 15 years old.

Her three children, ages 15, 14, and 10 have been taking it very hard, she said.

"My children would wake up every morning before they went to school, feed them, and give them their water for the day. In the afternoon, when they came home, they would take care of them again," Ms. Garcia said.

These animals have been family pets for years. Garcia owned the rottweiller, P.J., since before her oldest child was born. Her collie, Little Buddy, was five years old. The mare, Angel, was a gift to her youngest daughter on her fourth birthday.

Her mother said her daughter misses the horse, which was so gentle she could ride it bareback.

"She wants her horse," Garcia said. "And I can't give Angel to her. It really breaks my heart," she added. "I love horses. For someone to hurt my child's horse and make her hurt, that is what gets me," she said.

"This is about as disturbing a case as I've ever seen as far as an animal being killed," Sergeant Brasher said. "We're obviously very concerned, because if someone would do this to these three animals, we don't know what they might do next to people," she added.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the HPD Major Offenders Division at 713-308-3100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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