Sportsmen Seek Justice After Fayette County Horse Shot

The Georgia Outdoor Network (GONetwork) is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for shooting a south Fayette County horse on Jan. 3 with three arrows. The horse belongs to Ralph and Nancy Padovano.

“A passerby observed a horse with arrows sticking out of its body on Banks Town Road in Brooks,” said Brent Rowan, an investigator with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. “Deputies responded to the scene where they found that the horse had been shot three times.”

The horse was shot in the middle-spine area, the neck and just below the right eye with arrows equipped with broadheads.

“A veterinarian was contacted, came out to the scene and removed the arrows, and the horse was recovering,” said Rowan.

The case has been assigned to an investigator and is currently being worked.

In keeping with GONetwork’s mission, Steve Burch, the non-profit organization’s president, said early Monday it would offer the $1,000 reward money in hopes it will help lead to an arrest and conviction.

“Somebody has taken a tool that is commonly associated with sportsmen and done something bad with it,” said Burch. “Unless sportsmen make a distinction, the public will paint all people who use those tools as bad.

“This is clearly the work of a poacher and a criminal. We pay to put poachers and criminals under the justice system.”

Horse owner Nancy Padovano expressed her thanks to Burch for offering the $1,000 reward.

“We are so blessed to have an organization such as yours,” said Padovano. “This is what gives us hope. If the world doesn’t know about this, how can we stop it ever? It’s just going to go on and on.”

The GONetwork functions to protect the future of hunting and fishing in Georgia. Its mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the heritage and future of sportsmanship and the land, water and wildlife on which it depends.

If you have information on the horse shooting, call the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at (770) 461-6353.