A beloved Las Vegas peacock named Pete has been killed with a hunter’s bow and arrow, sparking heartbreak in the local community.

Animal Protection Services officers are investigating the death of the peacock, which belonged to a resident in a small gated community in the Nevada city, but had come to be accepted as the neighbourhood pet throughout the years.

Resident Felicity Carter said she found the bird against a fence with an arrow sticking out of him.

She wrapped Pete in a blanket and, with the help of other neighbours, took him to a vet who specialises in exotic pets.

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

“I just don’t understand why someone would do this,” Ms Carter said. “We all just want to find out who did this. We want justice for Pete.”

Several neighbours say they are heartbroken. They loved to feed Pete berries and found comfort in knowing he was always just around the corner, lounging in someone’s yard or chasing the bin lorry on Tuesday mornings. Even the homeowners association accepted Pete as a neighbourhood fixture.

Ms Carter said Pete will be remembered for his “very distinct personality”.

Pete often was seen admiring his reflection in the chrome detailing of cars parked in the area.

The mail courier and landscapers knew Pete, too, and would drive carefully through the area in case he was on the street.

“He literally would walk down the middle of the street with his swagger on display like he owned the joint,” Ms Carter said.

She described it a happy accident how Pete came to be a resident. Pete’s owner, she said, claims that years ago, the peacock randomly showed up at his doorstep. He decided to keep it.

Soon, everybody knew Pete, and other residents chipped in to take care of him.

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 misdemeanour offence with a penalty of up to six months in jail and a maximum 1,000 dollar (£795) fine.