Dog caught in illegal trap, resulting in death Vassar, MI (US) Incident Date: Monday, Dec 12, 2005 County: Tuscola Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 6561 Classification: Unlawful Trapping/Hunting Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in MI (US) Animal was offleash or loose Login to Watch this Case

A Tuscola County family is heartbroken and outraged after their dog came home with a trap around its neck. The dog died a short time later. Family members say they know who killed their dog and they believe they have a neighbor that is preying upon other neighborhood pets.
People living in the Vassar Township neighborhood say this latest dog death is just one of many. They believe one man is responsible.

On December 12, 2005, Ben Wixon was heading outside to let his German Shepherd, Dixie, back into the house. He realized that she had gotten away from the yard. As he headed across the street, he found Dixie crawling up a ditch with an animal trap around her neck, fighting for her life.
Wixon called the police and the Department of Natural Resources to report the trap. The trap had no identification, so it couldn't be traced to anyone. Sheriff deputies then questioned the neighbor but said they could not prove anything.

Wixon and other neighbors say other dogs have been found poisoned and shot to death. They feel hopeless because this latest case appears as though it won't be investigated. "To think somebody would be cruel enough to do that to my dog is not right. And then for me to call all these people that you're supposed to call when you need help and they don't want to help? That's not right," Wixom told abc12's Jeff Piechowski.

One of Wixon's neighbors says two of his dogs were murdered and thinks that the man who he believes is responsible, actually admitted to him that he traps and buries neighborhood pets.

Neighborhood Map

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References

ABC Local News - December 14, 2005

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