Hobby hunter shoots dog in Gelsenkirchen

A woman had been out walking her two dogs along the Emscher river.

The female dog Frida was shot dead in the process. Based on current information, this is considered a hunting accident.

On Friday evening, Marcha Matthiesen had been walking her two dogs Frida and Sukie along the Emscher river in Gelsenkirchen. Suddenly she heard a shot. She called her dogs back, but only Sukie came running.

After a brief search, she found her dog Frida — she was dead. The 13-month-old German Shepherd-Husky mix had been shot. For the dog owner, it was a tremendous shock. “My heart is broken”, writes Marcha Matthiesen in a public post online.

The shooter was a guest in the hunting territory

Unlike initially reported, the alleged shooter — a hobby hunter — did not turn himself in and has not yet given a statement. According to the district hunters’ association, the man was visiting the area as a hunting guest and is himself a dog owner. According to a spokesperson, he is deeply shaken and expressed his condolences to the dog owner.

The district hunters’ association has also apologised for the incident and wants to support the criminal police in their investigation. The chairman speaks of a misjudgement: “The unfortunate shooter made a serious mistake.” Marcha Matthiesen has filed a complaint against the person responsible.

Confusion with a fox ruled out

That the area between the Emscher and the canal is a hunting territory is something very few people are aware of. Several species of animals may be hunted there, such as hares, geese, and also nutrias.

Marcha Matthiesen, however, simply cannot understand how anyone could have mistaken her dog for a fox. “No fox in the world is as big as my Frida.” But even though the shock is still with her, and even though her three children (aged 23, 13, and 11) are completely devastated: she says she has no desire to harbour resentment against recreational hunters as a whole. “I don't want to stir up hatred against hobby hunters — they already have a hard enough time with their reputation. But no responsible hobby hunter would have done something like that.» Besides, Frida had been right behind a bush. «Had the shot missed her, it could have hit us too.»