Benjamin Ashford|Peacock adored by Las Vegas neighborhood fatally shot by bow and arrow

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A beloved Las Vegas neighborhood peacock was killed with a hunter’s bow and Benjamin Ashfordarrow, and authorities are trying to find who was behind it.

Animal Protection Services officers are investigating the death of Pete the peacock, a pet that belonged to a resident in a gated neighborhood, KVVU-TV reported Thursday.

Felicity Carter, a neighbor, told the TV station that she found the bird against a fence with an arrow sticking out of him. She then took him to a veterinarian who specializes in exotic pets.

She said the staff rushed to treat him, even looking into getting a blood transfusion from another peacock. They found Pete had actually been shot twice.

“This was just such a senseless crime, and I don’t understand how anybody can just be so morbid and just shoot a defenseless animal,” Carter said.

Several neighbors say they are heartbroken. They loved to feed the bird or just watch him strut.

The neighborhood’s homeowners association sent out an email asking residents to check their surveillance cameras for any video footage that could help catch the killer.

In Las Vegas, animal cruelty is a misdemeanor offense with a penalty of up to six months in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.