Georgia Outdoor News Forum has a thread on Mrs. Walker's dogs being shot.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?s=eeec473f25e564bb91aef83585ce1101&p=948248#post948248

One poster writes this:

"If you care for your animals keep them at home. messing up my hunting is a shure way to loose a pet that is left to roam on private hunting land and violate my hunting.KEEP YOUR MUTTS ON YOUR OWN LAND!!"

Another comments on this:

"Couldn't have said it better."

My worry is this: If Georgia law actually permits hunters to shoot dogs on sight if spotted "running deer," then this leaves everything to the discretion of armed and dangerously stupid people like the poster and the one who "couldn't have said it better."

I am not a hunter, but I do not assume that all hunters are sh-t-kicking rednecks. For instance, I have a brother-in-law who works for the Florida Freshwater Fish and Game Commission and who is a model of responsible gun ownership and of sportsmanship.

But, clearly, not everyone out there has either a level of intelligence that significantly that of their prey, or a code of conduct. Many are out there driven by testosterone and the thrill of the kill. Perhaps, lacking fair game, a passing dog becomes a fun target.

Mr. Hill, first of all after reading your comments it is more than apparent to me that your condolences to the Edward's family are completely fake.

My family has had nothing less than a horrifying experience with UNETHICAL, STILL hunters. I will from this point on be speaking up for my family, Mick, Tatter Tot, the Edwards and Fender.

My family, actually my 12y/o son just lost two of his best buddies ever; the first being Mick whom he adopted when his teenage brother moved away; secondly, being Tatter Tot whom we adopted as a mange covered stray. Once cured of his mange, which I did on my own, Tatter Tot was the most beautiful golden retriever ever. Mick was a malamute mix. Both of our boys wore bright fluorescent collars, were extremely healthy, well cared for, not even hungry, not vicious nor any other negative adjective you could dig up as a possible justifiable excuse.

I reported what happened to my family to WSB TV. Apparently they felt as those our story was important enough to drive from Buckhead to Barnesville. Not only did they drive an hour and half to get here, but also they hiked across approximately 5 acres to tape where our boys were deposited. Following is my story of our family's tragedy:

Greetings. I just wanted to share a sad story with you all in hopes that you will avoid having this happen to you.

As everyone is probably aware deer hunting with firearms is in. This past weekend two of our family dogs were murdered. Both Mick and Tatter Tot were shot broadside, with a riffle, one bullet each. Tatter Tot was a golden retriever and Mick was a malamute mix plus, both wore fluorescent collars. Neither dog would harm a flea.

Behind out home is approximately 700 or 800 acres. Since this land has recently been clear cut Tatter Tot and Mick would venture just a little ways from the house to check out their surroundings. I would let them out of their kennels before sun rise and bring them inside shortly after. This Saturday morning they failed to return in their normal time frame. A guest at our house stated that he heard shots fired not too far behind our home. We set out on foot in the direction of the sounds of the shots fired. What we found was horrible. The person or persons who did this to our family dragged our dogs off of their land onto another person’s property. They used latex gloves to move Mick and Tatter Tot...then they discarded 2 sets of latex gloves right next to our boys.

True our boys were not on our property; I will accept responsibility for that. We live in the country; have 4 neighbors plus, to the back and side of our home we are surrounded by hundreds of acreage. So who would have thought that something like this would ever happen? I cannot even imagine what sort of sick, mean, cold-hearted individual would do this or what they gained from it. All I know is my family is a family of hunters and believe this to be animal cruelty as well as unethical.

My point to this story is this...if you live in an area where hunting takes place...keep your pets’ close and your children for that matter. I hope that you never experience this sort of tragedy. To some I am sure they just consider our boys just dogs...to us they were an intricate part of our family and will be greatly missed.

Thanks for taking time to read my story and feel free to pass it on to your family and friends as a precaution for their pet(s), children, themselves, etc. Lisa

Now with all of that being said lets address the issue of ethics...say it slowly E T H I C S!!! You claim the Edwards placed the hunter in the predicament of whether he should murder Fender or not. This hunter made his choice and should suffer the consequences of his actions. Hunting has been a part of our society for decades. Hunters are governed by a hunter's code of ethics and are a very special group.

Just for the record - an ETHIC is:
*A set of values associated with a culture or group
*A distinction between right and wrong
*Moral duty
*Obligation to society and community

There are common ethics such as the responsibility of asking a landowner permission to hunt on their land. Of course, there are Rules of Firearms as well.

One definition of a RESPONSIBLE deer hunter is:
"A person who knows & respects animals HUNTED, follow the LAWS and behaves in a way that will satisfy what society expects of him or her as a hunter." Jim Posewitz - Beyond Fair Chase

Mr. Hill, my family, friends and other avid hunters who believe in hunting in an ETHICAL manner will not ever believe for one minute that Fender was running a deer just with the intent to kill it. That is straight up hogwash and you know it. Further more, you are making assumptions for something that took place and you were not even present (or were you???)...get real. Be a real man, unlike the coward who brought Fender to his home - claiming he didn't have a collar (yeah right...how did the person know which house to go to???)-also claiming Fender was running a deer with the intent to kill it...once again BULL. Be a REAL man and step up to plate and admit this hunter hunted in an UNETHICAL, STILL manner, was cruel and should be punished. Don't hide behind excuses that lack validity.

I WISH the persons who MURDERED Mick & Tatter Tot would have brought them to my doorstep. You can rest assured they would have left my yard in a body bag. (My husband, myself and, worst of all, our 12 y/o son found our dogs with their innards blown out...my son threw up right there. His Mick that he loved so much and slept with every night had a huge hole in his side and blood running out of his mouth, as did Tatter Tot.) NO our boys were not running a deer to kill it, they were simply looking for a good tree to pee on since most of the land behind us has been clear cut bare. I am guessing the persons that did this realized how much our boys loved each other as they laid Tatter Tot first, then Mick with his head on top of Tatter's. The deal with our situation is that the less than brilliant persons shot our dogs on property they had no permission to hunt on, plus, they left their latex gloves covered with their DNA and prints. I will pursue this as animal cruelty as a felony and will not stop until I have justice for my boys that cannot speak for themselves. I will also poole all of my resources and help the Edwards gain justice for Fender.

The cowards that shot Fender, Mick & Tatter Tot were UNETHICAL, STILL hunters. By the tone of your letter you know clearly what this means don't you MR. HILL???? Trust me UNETHICAL, STILL hunters are a vast minority as well as a disgrace to ETHICAL hunters who hunt to feed their family plus, keep the deer population healthy.

Hunting is a privilege and not a right. Ethics about how you hunt and what you believe is right or wrong. Hunter’s ethics are the written and unwritten rules that govern our behavior when hunting. Just as there are codes for doctors and lawyers, hunters have a code of ethics as well.

Let's imagine if you will, Mr. Hill, which you went to the doctor. When your name was called the nurse placed you in a room to wait for your ETHICAL doctor. Imagine that you needed to use the restroom (sorta like finding a good tree to hike your leg on and pee first thing in the morning - before sunrise.....). Imagine that in your attempt to locate the restroom that you lost your way, that you became disoriented...in this disorientation you wandered into another patient’s room. Jeez it would be awful if your ETHICAL doctor lost his code of ethics and well just shot you....

EACH AND EVERY time you venture into an area that you have never been in before think about our boys that ventured into an area they had never been in before. They did not deserve to be murdered. There is NOT one shred of evidence to secure this.

If you are displeased with the facts I have written...I do not care. I firmly believe in what is RIGHT is RIGHT & WRONG is WRONG!!! What was done to both our families was completely wrong and we will make it right.

As far as anyone placing judgment on anyone...you did that. We all know that when it is all said and done or in other words when we die, there is only one person who will judge each and everyone one of us and that person would be GOD.

I am 42 years old, female, a hunter, mother, wife, animal lover, etc.
Lisa Walker

Pardon me, sir. Were you in the field the evening Fender was killed? How many dear had Fender run and killed? Would you shoot a dog in an orange collar running dear? Would you shoot me if I were running dear? Is discretion not a virtue to be employed by those possessing lethal force and weaponry?
I will look in my own backyard, and I don't expect to see hunters with your attitude. Tell me again, why the hunter "had to act" and kill a dog if it chased a dear? Tell me, please, what terrible outcome you are preventing by shooting a dog that is in the same field as dear. I'm a bit curious.

Kevin "Hack" King

How close can you be to someone's home before it becomes and acceptable risk and you can shoot at will.

Very little of Fayette County is rural anymore so what is the milage or acerage that is needed to safely hunt?

I thought of buying a horse farm but I don't want to get shot at.