Las Cruces family grieves for dog struck and killed by trespasser

Kellie Curry was only 22 years old when she said she adopted who would become her best friend, an Australian Shepherd puppy named Jude.

“Everyone who knows me, knows Jude,” Curry said. “I always had him with me and he went everywhere with me, pretty much.”

Over the next decade, Jude would grow from her furry companion in exploring nature to the protector of her two little girls, a role he did not take lightly.

“Jude was always super protective when Peyton (her 6-year-old) was a baby,” Curry said. “We’d find him in her room, just laying there. He’s also been really protective and wonderful with our family.”

Curry was heartbroken to learn that Jude had been struck and killed by a vehicle on her property only a little more than an hour prior to her returning home.

“Even if I had shown up sooner, I don’t think there would have been a way to save him,” Curry said. “Maybe I could have been there to comfort him, but once that had happened, it was done. He wasn’t coming back form that.

Surveillance video shows what appears to be a black Camaro running over Jude. The car drives away and the Australian Shepherd dies on his owner’s property.

“That’s been the hardest,” Curry said. “I can maybe understand if someone tried to contact us and say, ‘Hey, this is an accident. But watching that video, it wasn’t. They didn’t stop. They didn’t turn around. They did nothing. So, honestly… I’m just really angry about that.”

Curry said she doesn’t know why the vehicle was on her property in the first place. However, she’s confident Jude was defending her family from any trespassers.

“Our dogs are family to us, but they also have a job and that is to protect our family,” Curry said. “He was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing.”

The family is offering a $1,000 reward for information that helps authorities identify the driver. A spokeswoman confirms the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. The license plate of the vehicle is not easily identifiable.