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A Lebanon family is searching for answers after its dog was killed by an unknown shooter last week.

Ashley Wheeler said Kane, a 2-year-old German shepherd, was fatally wounded on the morning of Sept. 15 while outside the family’s home on Lower Middle Road. The dog’s death — and the mystery surrounding it — have left Wheeler, her husband and their four children devastated, she said in a phone interview Monday.

The York County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that it is investigating the shooting.

Around 6:45 a.m. on Sept. 15, Wheeler was heading out the door with her 7-year-old daughter when Kane apparently snuck out to use the bathroom.

A few moments later, Wheeler realized that the dog had slipped outside. And then a single gunshot rang out.

A pit immediately formed in her stomach because she could tell from the sound that the shot had been fired nearby.

Wheeler called and whistled for Kane, whom she said had “fantastic recall,” but he didn’t respond. Then, as she walked to the end of her driveway, she saw Kane lying in a pile of leaves, with blood on his face and coming out of his mouth.

Quickly realizing that he needed immediate treatment, Wheeler pulled her SUV up the long driveway. Even though he had been wounded, she said Kane still appeared excited at the prospect of a car ride.

Wheeler loaded Kane into the vehicle and rushed him to the nearest emergency veterinarian — about an hour’s drive away in Scarborough.

By the time she arrived, Kane was gone. He had taken his final breath at some point during the drive.

An X-ray confirmed a single bullet went through Kane’s eyebrow, leaving an exit wound. He had no other injuries.

“Everything’s fine in one minute, and literally in less than five, your entire world is just upside-down,” Wheeler said.

The Wheelers live in a wooded area of Lebanon. From their property, they don’t have direct eyesight to any neighboring homes. That means that no one seems to have seen who fired the shot that killed Kane.

The loss of Kane has left the Wheeler family reeling. “He completed our family,” Ashley Wheeler said. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Wheeler)

Kane was wearing a visible, 2-inch collar with tags and was a well-trained, friendly member of her family.

Wheeler doesn’t have any idea who could have shot her dog or why.

For now, the family is left reeling. She and her daughter were closest with Kane and are taking it the hardest, but her husband, Justin, and all three of her sons are also grieving.

Even Colt — the family’s other pet dog, who turned 10 the day after Kane died — has seemed depressed since he lost his friend.

It’s been hard for the Wheelers to move forward. The emotional toll has been debilitating, despite an outpouring of support that the family has received online.

“They’re not just pets,” Wheeler said. “Kane completed our family.”

The shooting of a domestic animal is a class E crime in Maine, carrying a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment or a $1,000 fine.

Anyone with information is urged to call the York County Sheriff’s Office at 207-324-1113.

Wheeler is asking that anyone who might know something come forward to help bring the family some closure.

“Anyone that knew Kane always said how handsome, good and friendly he was,” she said. “He was the best boy.”