Last week, a supposed “concerned citizen” claimed they found a dog abandoned on the side of an Ohio road and quickly called for help. Police now say the person who found the dog was actually the abuser.
Washington Post reports that by Monday, authorities, who were searching for the owner of the dog, didn’t have to look far. The same person who said they rescued Dani the Labrador made the story up after the pup cut her neck while running into a barbwire fence, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the dog owner, a Madison Township resident, claimed they found the dog off of Trenton Franklin Road in Butler County on August 17.
The owner told police they couldn’t afford to bring the dog to a veterinarian, so instead, reportedly decided to make up an abused animal story in hopes that the dog would get free medical care.
The red marks around the dog’s mouth didn’t come being duct-taped, but developed after hours and days of wearing a muzzle the owner put on her. The owner claimed the pup was “chewing up items in their residence and being aggressive towards their other canine,” authorities said.
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said a veterinarian who gave Dani a medical checkup confirmed that the cut on her neck was not an intentional act.
“Our Detectives followed up with the Twin Maple Veterinarian Clinic where it was determined that the neck injury to Dani was not intentional and the duct tape was a story made up by the dog owner to get Dani free care,” Jones wrote on Facebook.
For Immediate Release… August 26, 2019 Animal…
Posted by Butler County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 26, 2019
Although the unnamed dog owner hasn’t been arrested, the incident shocked the community. Katie Goodpaster, with HART Rescue in Cincinnati, said that they adopted the pup out in 2011, but it wasn’t to the current owner. Goodpaster is now pushing for charges.
“We know the current supposed owner is not who we adopted the dog to initially,” Goodpaster said, according to FOX 19. “Tears have been shed. We’ve been angry. We’ve been upset. We felt like puking… it’s just a whole range of emotions. We are absolutely pushing for charges.”
Dani now has a foster, Alice Anderson, who said the dog isn’t do anything of the things the owner reportedly alleged.
“She doesn’t chew anything up. She hasn’t gone after any of the dogs. She hasn’t gone after any of the cats. She’s been wonderful.”
Meanwhile, HART has taken care of all of Dani’s medical bills, including aftercare. The pup is still recovering and expected to be fine, but she’s not quite ready for adoption yet.
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[Feature Photo: Butler County Sheriff’s Office]
