The dogs were discovered on Sunday, but police were not made aware of their deaths until Tuesday morning. When officers arrived on the scene, Hamilton police Sgt. Ed Buns said that only the remains of one of the dogs (a pure pit bull breed) was found, but a photo of the second dog (a pit bull mixed breed) appeared later on social media, showing that it had also been decapitated at the same location.
Meg Stephenson, director of the Humane Society, and Butler County Dog Warden Kurt Merbs, joined Sgt. Buns Wednesday afternoon at the Hamilton Police Dept. to discuss the details of the case and the reward money.
“It is a level of cruelty that is unfathomable to be that vile and that violent,” Buns said. “We need to get this solved and get this solved quickly. We need the public’s help. People out there know what happened, they know who was involved.”
Several anonymous donors and other members from the community have also offered to contribute money to increase the reward being offered.
Stephenson said this incident should shine an even bigger light on animal cruelty.
“There is no rhyme or reason for somebody to have done this,” she said. “We need to make a statement that we aren’t going to accept this in our community. We are going to fight to find out who committed these acts.”
The detective investigating the case is a former K-9 police dog handler and has been combing through several tips and leads, according to police.
One of the dogs was involved in a dog biting incident in early July, but it was discovered that the dog had been teased by a group of children spraying it with water.
When asked if the dog’s death was being investigated as an act of revenge, Merbs said, “no not at this time.” He added that “this was a very, very healthy looking dog.”
Those responsible for the killing the dogs could face a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for a first degree misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, according to Sgt. Buns, plus other restrictions involving contact or ownership with animals.
Stephenson said she felt the penalties for animal cruelty should be tougher and those responsible should face stiffer sentences. She added that owners should be more vigilant in caring and watching over their pets and if they aren’t able to care for their animals any longer, they should call the Humane Society to arrange for help.
Anyone with information on the dogs’ death can call the Detective Section at 513-868-5811, ext. 2002.
The Animal Friends Humane Society number is 513-867-5727.
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