Pioneertown mourns death of mascot

$10,000 Reward Offered in Labrador's Shooting Death

By Jason Sloss
KESQ
Palm Desert

The owner of a dog who was killed in an apparent execution-style shooting in the High Desert is looking for answers in her Labrador's death.

In February, the black lab named Brody was found blooded near a Pioneertown road. With a bullet casing found nearby, investigators say Brody had been shot in the back of the head.

Brody was widely regarded as the unofficial mascot of Pioneertown, where residents are still outraged over the shooting of the dog. "Somebody came out and brought my dog here and shot him," Brody's owner Sara Horowitz said. "It's just disgusting."

Horowitz, her boyfriend, and Brody just moved last year to settle peacefully in Pioneertown. It wasn't until the shooting that that peace was instantly shattered.

"I cried a lot," Horowitz says. "I still do. It's like losing a family member."

Word of the shooting quickly spread around High Desert communities. And that support has lead to a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest of Brody's killer.

Despite being consumed by Brody's death, Sara has found comfort from others and a new black lab which was a gift from a Landers man.

Of the $10,000 being offered, $7,000 of it is coming from San Bernardino County.

The rest is being offered by the Humane Society, the Coalition to Protect Animals Rights in Entertainment, and United Activists for Animal Rights.

Anyone with information on the shooting can call the Morongo Basin Detective Bureau at 760-366-4175.

Anonymous tipsters can call 1-800-782-7463.