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Pet mule killed near Stevensville was hit by a vehicle, not shot

Stevensville Mule Shootoing
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STEVENSVILLE — We have an update on a family’s mule that recently died in the Stevensville area.

The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office reports that after receiving information that the animal -- that was killed on Eastside Highway -- could have been struck by a vehicle, the owner had the animal exhumed, and a post-mortem examination performed by a veterinarian.

The results of the exam determined that the puncture wound initially thought to be a bullet wound was not a gunshot injury. A bullet was not recovered and there was no further evidence that the mule was shot, according to a news release. The mule did have injuries consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle.

The investigation will continue as a failure to report a property damage accident, according to the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information about the incident is still being asked to contact the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office “as whoever struck the mule created a potentially dangerous situation for other drivers on the highway by not reporting the incident.”