Community Rallies Around Danbury Family After Dog Was Killed

As of this writing, $4,200 has been raised by the friends, family and neighbors of a Danbury family whose dog was killed after being struck by an ATV. The money will be used as a reward for whoever can lead to the unknown driver's arrest.

The O'Rourke family's 4-year-old husky-lab mix, Dusty, was in the front yard of their Jackson Avenue home just before 8:00 PM on Wednesday night when the yet-to-be-identified driver seemingly lost control of the ATV. The driver hit the beloved dog before speeding off.

In an absolutely heartbreaking video obtained by NBC Connecticut, Danielle O'Rourke can be seen through her home's doorbell camera reacting to the devastating moment she realized Dusty had been hit:

Since offering an initial award of $500 for information leading to the ATV driver's arrest, the community has rallied around the O'Rourke family, raising the award to upwards of $4,000 through donations on the "Justice for Dusty" GoFundMe campaign.

The Danbury Police Department's investigation indicates that the operator of the ATV likely lives in the general area of Jackson Drive, Tamanny Trail, and Great Plain Road in Danbury. Area residents have said that there are trails in that area that are frequently used by ATVs and motorcycles.

If you saw an ATV being operated in that general area, in that general time frame last night, or may have any information that can lead to the identity of the ATV driver, please contact Danbury Police Officer Michael Weaver at m.weaver@danbury-ct.gov.

Visit the Justice for Dusty GoFundMe Campaign