DAYTON — The Humane Society of Greater Dayton said they have closed the case of a dog that was found burned on Kammer Avenue in March.
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Officials said while initially it appeared the dog was tied up and burned, and investigation found the dog was deceased prior to it being burned, the humane society said in a media release Wednesday.
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“We received an initial report stating that the dog had appeared to be hog-tied and set on fire,” said Brian Weltge, President & CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. “We shared this initial information with the public asking for help with this case.”
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“However, as the investigation proceeded and more information came in we have discovered what we thought was initially a heinous act of violence was in fact not the case.”
Dayton police and a humane agent interviewed a juvenile who owned the dog and told investigators he was walking the dog on North James H. McGee Boulevard when the dog ran into the road and was fatally hit by a vehicle, Weltge said. Nearby business owners and several witnesses confirmed the juvenile’s story, investigators said.
This distraught juvenile wanted to bury the deceased dog in his backyard, but was not allowed, Weltge said.
“Without guidance on proper disposal of the animal, and wanting to be able to save the ashes of his dog, the juvenile attempted to cremate it himself.”
Investigators concluded there was in fact no evidence of animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect in connection to this incident.
“What appears initially to be a heinous act of violence toward an animal, has turned into a misguided teen who wanted to honor and remember his beloved pet,” Weltge said.
The humane society asks anyone with questions on how to dispose the body of a pet, to contact 937-268-7387 or visit www.hsdayton.org.