17-year-old charged in dog mutilation case

BUCYRUS – A 17-year-old has been charged with criminal mischief in connection with a dog’s severed head that was found on a guardrail post earlier this month.

“His actions, in my opinion, can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in Crawford County Juvenile Court,” Matt Crall, Crawford County prosecutor, said in a news release announcing the charge. The third-degree misdemeanor is punishable by 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Crall confirmed that threats of retaliation have been made against the boy.

“While the emotions may be understandable, further retaliation will not change what has occurred and may result in criminal charges,” Crall said in the release. “Many may find the enforcement of the law to be less than satisfying. Please allow those of us attempting to enforce the law (as imperfect as it may be) the opportunity to do our job.”

The teen cannot be bound over to be tried as an adult because of the nature of the charges, the prosecutor explained. The boy’s name is being withheld because he is a juvenile.

Dog’s head discovered on Jan. 14

The Crawford County Sheriff ’s Office received a report Jan. 14 that a dog’s severed head had been found on a guardrail at Stetzer and Parcher roads, Sheriff Scott Kent said earlier this month.

The Humane Society Serving Crawford County and the county dog warden also assisted with the investigation, according to Crall’s news release.

Crall said that his investigation determined that the student hit the dog while driving to school that morning. After school, he and a friend returned to the scene.

“They stated their purpose was to photograph the scene for insurance purposes,” Crall stated in his news release. “The minor’s car had received damage when it struck the dog.

“Upon their return, the minor allegedly placed the head, which he claims was already detached, on the fence post in what can only be described as a gruesome act. This action was filmed by the minor’s friend (who was also a minor) and placed on social media, another obvious bad decision.”

A short video obtained by the Telegraph-forum showed a young man, apparently a teenager, placing the severed head of a brown-and-white hound on a guardrail.

The teen in the video wore a longsleeved, dark-blue “Pioneer” hoodie and jeans.

Superintendent Greg Nickoli of Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby has said the student involved in the incident has withdrawn from school.

Head severed after animal’s death

An examination by a veterinarian and the experience of officers often tasked with removing animal carcasses from local roads determined the animal’s head was severed after the dog was deceased, Crall stated in his news release.

“The shared opinion was also that the severing of the head did not occur as part of the accident,” he stated.

But because the animal was at the scene for nearly 12 hours before law enforcement was called, “the possibility of an unknown third party decapitating the dog cannot be ignored,” the prosecutor said. Coupled with the suspect’s denial, “the lack of evidence means the crimes of animal cruelty or cruelty to a companion animal cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Those charges require proof of cruelty, mutilation, torment or torture – but if the animal was deceased, it could feel no pain, Crall explained.

The requirement of mutilation was considered for such a charge, but the state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person who hit the dog with a car also decapitated it, he said.

Criminal mischief – to “knowingly move, deface, damage, destroy or otherwise improperly tamper with the property of another” is a third-degree misdemeanor.

If a person is at risk of serious physical harm, criminal mischief becomes a first-degree misdemeanor – but because the victim was an animal, that does not apply, Crall explained.

“The prosecutor’s office will be seeking all available means to hold this minor accountable through juvenile court,” Crall said.

“I would like to extend my sympathy to the family of the dog. For many dog owners, the dog is a member of the family,” Crall said. “Despite recent increases in penalties for crimes committed against companion animals such as a dog, the criminal justice system will not correct the wrongs committed in this matter.”

He also asked the community to respect the privacy of everyone involved in the incident. ggoble@gannett.com 419-559-7263