Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dogs beaten to death, skinned

Dogs beaten to death, skinned
Eaton, PA (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Nov 12, 2007
County: Wyoming
Local Map: available

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Case ID: 12678

Classification: Beating, Mutilation/Torture

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

View more cases in PA (US)

Reward: $8,680

Three dogs were brutally killed, skinned and dumped in Marsh Creek off Jenks Road, and police are looking for answers.

�The bodies were definitely mutilated,� Humane Society of Lackawanna County Investigator Tina Walter said.

This discovery comes 14 days after Humane Society officials responded to a call about two mutilated kittens found on a porch on Valley View Road in nearby Newton Township.

About 10 days ago, a woman walking on Jenks Road saw an animal in the creek, about a half-mile south of the Route 29 roadside rest area, Ms. Walter said. The woman could not distinguish the type of animal because it was small, she said.

On Friday, the woman was again walking on Jenks Road and saw another animal in the creek, which she recognized as a dog, near the first animal. On Monday, Ms. Walter went to the scene and found the bodies of a female dog and two puppies, each about a year old.

�All three of them were spayed and neutered, so we believe they were someone�s dogs,� Ms. Walter said. �All three dogs are of the same breed.�

Investigators believe the dogs are Shelties, but cannot be certain because the animals were skinned.

A necropsy was performed Tuesday by Dr. Joseph Pannick, of Veterinary Medical Center in Blakely.

�They�ve been �caped� like a deer would be by a hunter,� Dr. Pannick said. �All of them were brutally killed.�

The dogs died from abdominal trauma, had fractured ribs, as well as surgical cuts and incisions, Dr. Pannick said.

The brain of one of the dogs was also mutilated, Ms. Walter said.

�There is no way to determine when they were skinned, but all three dogs were traumatized,� Ms. Walter said. �This is definitely the worst case of animal cruelty I�ve seen.�

Anyone involved in the deaths of the animals could face three counts of animal cruelty, each of which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, Ms. Walter said.

The Humane Society is investigating the crime in cooperation with the Wyoming County district attorney�s office.

�We have had an occasional case of cruelty to animals before, but not mutilation like this,� county Chief Detective David Ide said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 996-COPS or the Humane Society at 585-0510.

If you have information on this case, please contact:
CrimeStoppers
996-COPS

Case Updates

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for beating and skinning five dogs who were found dead in Wyoming and Lackawanna counties in mid-November.

News reports give the following account: On Nov. 12, two puppies and a female dog were found dead in an Eaton Township creek. Four days later, two more dogs were found dead, lying beside a road about 30 miles away in Fell Township. The dogs all appeared to be Shetland sheepdogs. All likely died from hemorrhaging and blood loss before being skinned. Their bodies were placed visibly in remote areas.

The Humane Society of Lackawanna County is investigating. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Officer Tina Walter at 585-0510.

With The HSUS' reward offer, the reward offered in these cases now tops $8,680.

Source: HSUS Press Release - Dec 5, 2007
Update posted on Dec 5, 2007 - 3:35PM

Back to Top

Animal lovers are coming forward today after seeing the report Wednesday about the female dog and two puppies found dead in Wyoming County.

The Humane Societies of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties are teaming up to offer a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the horrific case.

In Lackawanna County, humane officer Tina Walter said she's barely had a break since news of the mutilated dogs broke Wednesday night.

"I've received quite a few phone calls. No leads yet as to who it might be, but we're still very hopeful," Walter said.

She called it the worst case of animal abuse she's ever seen. The carcasses of three dogs, two of which were puppies, were found last weekend in Marsh Creek outside Tunkhannock. The three animals had been killed and skinned.

The humane society isn't even sure what breed the dogs were.

Shoppers at Brick's Market in Tunkhannock said the abuse case is what a lot of people are talking about in Wyoming County.

"I think the people who did it are sick," said Marilyn Coble of Falls.

"Somebody is sick in the head. I don't know what you would do with people like that," said Richard Benton of Tunkhannock Township.

Millie Riepe of Dimock is just getting over the deaths of her two pet cats.

"They meant a great deal to me, filled up my life a lot. And when I see something like that I can't even think about it because if I do I'll start to cry," Riepe said.

The Humane Society of Wyoming County is now offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this animal abuse case.

Walter said calls have been coming in from people who also want to donate.
That, she added, shows how many are outraged.

"Everyone is appalled. It's a horrible crime, and there's no reason for it," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Walter at the Humane Society of Lackawanna County at 570-585-0510.

If anyone is interested in contributing to this fund, you may do so my sending your donation to Humane Society of Wyoming County, P.O. Box 478, Tunkhannock, PA 18657 or to the Lackawanna County Humane Society, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Please mark your check "Reward Fund."

Source: WNEP - Nov 15, 2007
Update posted on Nov 16, 2007 - 2:51AM

Back to Top

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

References

	Citizen's Voice - Nov 15, 2007
	WNEP - Nov 14, 2007
	The Times-Tribune - Nov 15, 2007

« PA State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Dogs beaten to death, skinnedEaton, PA (US)

Case Updates

Neighborhood Map

References

Dogs beaten to death, skinned
Eaton, PA (US)