KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Northland neighbors told police someone is taking shots at pets, but are told there's nothing that can be done.

Tina Oaks said three dogs in two different families in one neighborhood were shot.

Oaks said her 12-year-old son called her one day, distraught because their family dog was bleeding. She said she rushed home and found Shiloh, the family's miniature beagle, bleeding and unable to walk.

Oaks and her fiancé, William Hilton, rushed Shiloh to the emergency veterinary hospital, where the veterinarian said that the dog had been shot, her back leg shattered.

The family determined that Shiloh must have been shot in their back yard in the 1200 block of Northeast 80th Terrace.

That same night, their neighbor, Daniel Eklund, said his dog, Rosie, was shot, and a month earlier, his other dog, Basil, was also shot.

Hilton called 911 the night that Shiloh was shot. Police said it was an issue for Animal Control, and someone would be contacting them. They got a call back within minutes, but were told that unless they knew who did it, there was nothing that Animal Control could do.

Animal Health and Public Safety officer Don Pickard said he understands the families' aggravations. "The owners of most animals, they look at them as their children, as a member of their family, so when the animal hurts, they're hurting as well," he said. "Without a witness, without anything like that, the likelihood of resolving the situation, from our perspective, is pretty weak."

"Who do you turn to? It's very hard, because you can't blame people, because you don't know. But on the other hand, how do you know the person you are talking to is not the person who pulled the trigger?" Oaks said.

Pickard said the best advice he can give to pet owners is to talk to neighbors and keep an eye out on each other. If you see anything suspicious, call police, he said.