QUINLAN, Texas (WSVN) — A teenage girl is mourning the loss of her beloved service dog after he was shot and killed outside her home for no apparent reason.
According to Fox 4, 15-year-old Hannah Westmoreland was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 8 years old. To help with her condition, they got Journey, the service dog, when Hannah was 12.
“It was God ordained,” said Tina Westmoreland, Hannah’s mother. “God’s hand was in it from the beginning.”
The community raised $10,000 over the course of a year so the family could buy Journey.
Since then, the pair had been inseparable, and Hannah said Journey saved her life several times, as she would let her know when her insulin levels were too high.
However, on Sunday, when she let Journey outside, someone shot him. The family rushed him to an animal hospital, but he did not survive.
The family said they have no idea who would do this or why.
“We’re just heartbroken,” the teen’s mother told Fox 4. “There’s no good reason.”
The family’s yard is fenced in, but they said the gate was open for some reason. They also said they heard four-wheelers, but they never heard a gunshot.
Deputies are now investigating.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.