Investigators are looking for someone who shot and killed a dog in Colorado Springs. They want to know who did it and why.

The dog was found dead in a staircase of the Crossland Economy Studios, an extended stay hotel on South Academy and Fountain on the Southeast side of Colorado Springs.

We don’t know if it was a family pet, but it certainly could be. It’s a busy hotel with lots of people staying there. Nobody we talked to on the scene, knew who the dog belongs to, or who shot it and killed it.

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region tells us someone called to report they found a dog dead in the stairwell of the hotel. They say that a large dog was shot, right now they are not releasing what breed of dog it was.

Animal enforcement was on scene for several hours trying to find out what happened.

11 News talked to a pet owner who is staying at the hotel. She was walking her own dog and was shocked and saddened by the news.

“It’s pretty scary. I don’t like seeing stuff like that happen, or hearing about it. It gets under my skin,” said Jessica Jaquez.

Police have told us in the past that people do have the right to shoot a dog if they feel threatened. A person can be charged with animal cruelty if they’re found to be in the wrong.