Cow found shot to death in North Okanagan leads to police investigation

VERNON – A police investigation is underway after the discovery of a cow found shot on a North Okanagan forest service road.

Vernon RCMP received a report Saturday, July 11, of a cow found shot to death on King Edward Lake Road, near Coldstream, spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. The cow was part of a rancher’s herd put out to graze on rangeland.

“For an individual to indiscriminately kill this animal and leave it there is an offence we would love to get to the bottom of,” Molendyk says. “The loss to the owner is quite significant.”

Killing an animal and leaving it is a criminal offence that could fall under mischief or animal cruelty.

Police continue to investigate, and ask that anyone with information contact the RCMP.

“If it’s done once, is it being done more?” Molendyk says.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.