ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO I MOVED TO TROY MO. FROM FLORISSANT. I HAD TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT THAT DIDN'T EXCEPT PETS, SO I PUT MY TWO DOGS OUT ON MY MOM'S 14 ACERS UNTIL I COULD GET A HOUSE. I HAD A 6 YEAR OLD PIT BULL NAMED BANK AND A 3 YEAR OLD PIT BULL NAMED SHAY. THEY WERE THE BEST DOGS I EVER HAD. THEY HAD A GREAT SET UP AT MY MOM'S AND WERE LET OUT OFTEN FOR EXERCISE, THEY NEVER LEFT THE PROPERTY. I TOOK BANK AND SHAY ON FLOAT TRIP, CAMPING, AND ALL FAMILY VACATIONS AND EVENTS. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM ...EVER! IN JANUARY OF 05 A STORM WAS COMING IN SO I WENT OUT TO MOM'S TO MAKE SURE THE DOGS BEDDING WAS DRY AND THEY HAD PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER. IT WAS GONNA SNOW. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY MOM'S SHAY GREETED ME AS I PULLED UP THE DRIVEWAY, BUT BANK WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND CALLED FOR HIM BUT HE NEVER CAME. THIS WAS VERY STRANGE, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED.I WAS VERY WORRIED DUE TO THE STORM COMING AND HE HADN'T EATEN YET THAT DAY. I GOT MY TWO CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR TO GO IN THE HOUSE, THEY WERE JUST BABIES AT THE TIME. I ASKED MY MOM IF SHE HAD SEEN BANK AND SHE TOLD ME THE 2 DOGS WERE BOTH ON THE PORCH THAT MORNING. SOMEONE HAD CAME TO THE DOOR BUT SHE DIDN'T ANSWER DUE TO HER NOT FEELING WELL AND NAPPING. I LEFT THE GIRLS WITH MOM AND DROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO LOOK FOR MY BUDDY, IT WAS GETTING DARK SO I HAD TO GET THE KIDS HOME FOR DINNER SO I STOPPED SEARCHING FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I BUNDLED UP THE GIRLS AND TOOK THE TRIP TO MY MOM'S TO SEE IF BANK RETURNED, HE DIDN'T. MY MOM WASN'T HOME, SHE WENT INTO TOWN TO GET THE CAR SERVICED, SO I WENT SEARCHING IN THE CAR WITH THE GIRLS. I WAS SO WORRIED DUE TO HOW COLD IT HAD GOT AND IT SNOWED...BANK ALWAYS WAS A HOUSE DOG AND IN HIS PIN HE HAD A HEAT LAMP TO KEEP HIM WARM.I DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CREEK THAT I ALWAYS TOOK THE DOGS TO IN WARM WEATHER. AS I TURNED THE CORNER I SEEN MY DOG LAYING LIFELESS IN THE CREEK. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT HE HAD FROZE TO DEATH FROM PLAYING IN THE WATER, BUT WHEN I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN OVER CRYING I SEEN IT....HE HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD! AL I COULD DO IS SCREAM AND CRY....MY OLDEST DAUGHTER KEPT SCREAMING OUT "BANK"...I DIDN'T NO WHAT TO DO. I TRIED TO CALL MY MOM BUT I COULDN'T GET SERVICE ON THE CELL PHONE SO I DROVE UP THE ROAD TILL SERVICE KICKED IN. THE FIRST THING I SAID WHEN SHE ANSWERED WAS "I FOUND BANK, HE IS DEAD!" "SOMEONE SHOT HIM!" SHE WAS SHOCKED! SHE THEN BEGAN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHO WOULD DO THIS INHUMANE ACT. SHE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A NOTE ON THE DOOR FROM YESTERDAYS VISITOR AND TOLD ME TO TRY TO CALL THE TO SEE IF THE PEOPLE WHO LEFT THE NOTE HAD SEEN BANK WHILE THEY WERE THERE OR ANYONE AROUND THE HOUSE. I DROVE UP TO THE HOUSE AND BROUGHT THE GIRLS INSIDE. I FOUND THE NOTE AND IT WAS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO RAN THE ROAD ASSOCIATION. I CALLED THE AND A WOMAN ANSWERED NAMED CAROLINE.I TOLD HER MY NAME AND TOLD HER THAT I GOT HER FROM MY MOM AND THE REASON I WAS CALLING WAS TO FIND OUT IF SHE HAD SEEN MY DOG DURING THE TIME SHE LEFT THE NOTE ON THE DOOR. SHE TOLD ME SHE SEEN 2 DOGS AT THE TIME OF HER VISIT AND SAID THAT THE BLACK ONE WAS VERY FRIENDLY AND EVEN JUMPED INTO THE CAR WITH THEM AS THEY WERE TRYING TO LEAVE. I TOLD HER THAT WAS BANK AND HE IS EXTREMELY PLAY FULL AND FRIENDLY. I THEN TOLD HER THAT HE WAS MISSING...NOT DEAD, MISSING. AND SHE BEGAN TO TELL ME HOW SORRY SHE WAS TO HEAR THAT. I TOLD HER THAT THE DOGS WERE JUST STAYING THERE FOR AWHILE UNTIL I COULD FIND A HOUSE AND SHE SURPRISINGLY SAID "OH YOU MEAN THERE NOT YOUR MOM"
DOGS?" AND I SAID NO. WELL THEN SHE REALLY BEGAN TO APOLOGIZE IN A STRANGE WAY. I ASKED HER TO GIVE ME A CALL BACK IF SHE HAD ANY INFORMATION FOR ME AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD. I HUNG UP AND SAT THERE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES THINKING OF THE CONVERSATION I JUST HAD. I CALLED HER BACK. I TOLD HER THAT I FOUND BANK IN THE CREEK SHOT IN THE HEAD. I ASKED HER IF SHE NEW OF ANYONE WHO WOULD DO THIS AND TO MY SURPRISE SHE TOLD ME "PEOPLE AROUND HERE DON'T LIKE DOGS" I ASKED WHAT SHE MEANT AND SHE SAID "LOOK, WE THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR MOM'S DOG, I'M SORRY" I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE WAS SAYING, THEN SHE SAID " YOUR MOM HASN'T COOPERATED WITH THE ROAD ASSOCIATION FOR A LONG TIME, SO TO TEACH HER A LESSON WE TOOK YOUR DOG AND MY HUSBAND SHOT IT IN THE HEAD" I WAS SHOCKED! I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING! I SCREAMED AND YELLED AT HER AND TOLD HER I WAS CALLING THE POLICE AND SHE THEN CALMLY SAID "I'LL GET TO THAT DOG BEFORE YOU AND YOU WONT BE ABLE TO PROVE ANYTHING." I HUNG UP, GOT THE KIDS IN THE CAR AS FAST AS I COULD AND DROVE DOWN TO BANKS BODY. IN A PANIC I TRIED MY HARDEST TO PICK HIS WATER LOGGED, FROZEN BODY OFF THE CREEK BED HIS EAR STARTED TO RIP OFF DUE TO IT BEING FROZEN TO THE GROUND, I HAD TO PRY IT LOSE AND THEN I REALIZED HIS COLLAR WAS MISSING. I STARTED TO LOOK AROUND AND OFF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I SEEN IT SHINNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK. NOT THINKING I JUMPED INTO THE FREEZING WATER TO RETRIEVE IT. BANK WEIGHED 87 POUNDS ALIVE AND NOW HE WAS PROBABLY DOUBLE IN WEIGHT DUE TO THE WATER, BEING FROZEN AND ROCKS STUCK ALL OVER HIS BODY. I DRUG HIM TO THE TRUNK OF THE CAR, SHE WASN'T GONNA TAKE MY DOGS BODY FROM ME, AND WITH THE BABY SCREAMING IN THE CAR AND THE OLDEST ASKING WHY I JUST PUT OUR DOG IN THE TRUNK, I DROVE BACK TO MY MOM'S HOUSE AND CALLED THE POLICE. MY MOM SHOWED UP AT THE HOUSE AND THEN THE POLICE CAME. THE OFFICER TOOK A LOOK AT BANK IN THE TRUNK AND ASKED SOME QUESTIONS. THEN HE DROVE UP THE ROAD TO SPEAK WITH CAROLINE AND HER HUSBAND, JAMES. WHEN HE CAME BACK THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS "THE SNOW TOLD THE WHOLE STORY" HE TOLD ME THEY MUST HAVE TAKEN BANK FROM MY MOM'S HOUSE IN THERE CAR CAUSE HIS FOOT PRINTS TOLD HIM HE JUMPED OUT OUT FROM THERE CAR AND RAN AROUND FRO A MINUTE AND THEN THEY MUST HAVE SHOT HIM IN THE BACK OF THERE HOME. HE SAID THERE WAS A POOL OF BLOOD IN THE SNOW AND A TRAIL LED TO THERE TRUCK AND WAS IN THERE TRUCK BED. HE SAID THEY MUST HAVE TRANSFERRED HIS BODY IN THE TRUCK TO DUMP HIM IN THE CREEK. THERE STORY WAS THAT BANK FOLLOWED THEM 2 MILES UP THE ROAD WHEN THEY CAME TO MOM'S, BUT THE OFFICER SAID THAT HE KNOWS THAT WASN'T TRUE DUE TO THE TRACKS IN THE SNOW. A FEW MONTHS PASSED AND IT WAS TIME TO GO TO COURT. I HAD BANK CREMATED AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY GOT INVOLVED IN THE CASE. MY MOM CAME WITH ME TO COURT AND A WOMAN FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY SHOWED AS WELL. CAROLINE AND JAMES SHOWED UP WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TO DEFEND THEM. THERE WERE CHILDREN AND ADULTS THERE FOR THEM. I ASSUMED THEY WERE GONNA TESTIFY THAT THEY WERE NOT CAPABLE OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAUSE THEY WERE SUCH GOOD PEOPLE, I'M NOT SURE, BUT WHY CHILDREN? ANYWAYS, IT WAS OUR TURN AND FOR SOME REASON THEY REQUESTED A DIFFERENT JUDGE, THEY GOT THAT GRANTED. A WEEK LATTER I GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL FROM THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY TELLING ME THAT JAMES GOT 2 YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION AND PLEAD GUILTY TO ANIMAL CRUELTY. HE WAS TO PAY ME RESTITUTION. A YEAR HAD PASSED AND ONE DAY I GET A KNOCK ON THE DOOR. IT WAS A JEHOVAH WITTINESS. I NEVER LET THEM IN TO CHAT, I'M BAPTIST AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE GOT TO SAY. WELL THE WOMAN TOLD ME SHE WOULD COME BACK ANOTHER DAY AND SHE DID. FOR SOME REASON THIS WOMAN LOOKED SO FAMILIAR TO ME, BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. WHEN SHE CAME BACK, I LET HER IN AND TOLD HER JUST FOR A MINUTE. (I ONLY DID THIS SO SHE WOULD STOP COMING TO MY DOOR) WE CHATTED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND I BEGAN TO SPEAK OF BANK AND SHE BEGAN TO GET VERY NERVOUS. I THEN SPOKE OF MY MOM'S PROPERTY AND SHE MENTIONED SHE DOES VISITS AROUND THERE TO A WOMAN NAMED CAROLINE. THEN IT HIT ME! THIS WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN COURT TO DEFEND CAROLINE AND JAMES! I FELT SO UNCOMFORTABLE IN MY OWN HOME. I THEN TOLD THE WOMAN THAT I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT A PERSON GOING DOOR TO DOOR TEACHING THE WORD OF GOD WOULD DEFEND SUCH A HATE FULL, SELFISH ACT. HER RESPONSE WAS "HE WAS A PIT BULL, HE NEEDED TO BE SHOT." I TOLD THE WOMAN TO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE AND TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO GET ON HER KNEES TO ASK FOR GODS FORGIVENESS FOR BEING A PART OF HATRED AND I SLAMMED THE DOOR IN HER FACE. ALL I COULD DO IS CRY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE AFTER A YEAR HAD PASSED I WAS FACING THIS NIGHTMARE AGAIN, ALL THE HORRIFYING DREAMS STARTED OVER, THE MOURNING FOR MY BELOVED PET AND FRIEND, IT TRULY HAS BEEN A HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE THAT NEVER ENDS. SINCE ALL OF THIS I HAVE MOVED 10 MILES OUT OF TROY AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW...I HAVE A KNOCK ON THE DOOR THE OTHER DAY. IT WAS TWO DIFFERENT JEHOVAH WITNESSES AND I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY, THEY ASKED WHY AND THE FIRST THING THAT CAME OUT F MY MOUTH WAS "DO YOU KNOW JAMES AND CAROLINE KEEFE?" AND THEY SAID " WHY YES WE DO" AND I TOLD THEM THAT THEY STOLEN AND SHOT MY DOG AND I DO NOT WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT THEM. THEY TOLD ME THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY DID WHAT THEY ARE ACCUSED OF AND I THEN SHUT THE DOOR ON THEM. MY POINT TO SHARING THIS STORY IS SIMPLE, IT IS WRONG TO TAKE REVENGE OR TO RETURN EVIL FOR THE BAD THINGS THAT OTHERS MIGHT DO TO US...........A VIOLENT PERSON CAN NOT BE GODS FRIEND....AND IT IS WRONG TO MISTREAT ANIMALS OR KILL THEM JUST FOR SPORT OR PLEASURE!SHOW RESPECT FOR LIFE AND BLOOD! I BELIEVE THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT THESE SO CALLED JEHOVAH WITNESSES ARE MISSING AND THEY CONTINUE TO GO DOOR TO DOOR TO SPEAK "THE WORD OF GOD"



THANKS FOR TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THIS I SUBMITTED A COPY AWHILE BACK TO OUR COUNTY JOURNAL AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS TOO LONG TO PUBLISH. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE VERY HATE FULL PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT THEY NEED TO BEWARE OF. SINCE I FIRST WRITTEN THIS STORY THE SAME MAN THAT SHOT AND KILLED MY DOG STRUCK AGAIN TO ANOTHER NEIGHBORS DOG. HE DID NOT KILL THE DOG BUT HE BEAT THE DOG PRETTY BAD...AND THE OWNER OF THE DOG BEAT HIS ASS!