The rottweiler mix that was found with its throat slit by passers-by Wednesday on the roadside in Lower Swatara Township likely has a new home, with the man who helped rescue him.
And charges were filed Thursday against two men for attempting to kill the dog.
Kevin Bonner wasn't quite sold on adopting the animal he and a neighbor found near death early Wednesday at Rosedale Avenue and Stoner Drive. But when police arrived to take the animal to the Londonderry Animal Hospital in Middletown, the wound in its neck opened up and Bonner and Helen McGarry watched in horror as the dog began to go into shock.
"He lifted his head up and a blood clot fell out of his neck and the blood started pouring out. I don't know how to explain it, but I was committed at that point, I had to help that dog," Bonner said. "I was pretty worked up about it, I cried like a little girl."
The dog, whose name is Trigger, was slated to be released Friday morning from the Londonderry Animal Hospital, after which he will be given to the Humane Society where Bonner will be waiting for him, said Amanda Gutierrez, who works at the hospital.
Bonner, who owns two German shepherds, is the first in line to adopt the dog. McGarry is next.
"If his dogs don't like it, then he's mine," McGarry said with a laugh. "He's a wonderful dog, he melted my heart and he melted Kevin's."
As of Thursday, police filed charges against the dog's former owner, Joshua D. Boyanowski, 31, of Middletown, and the man hired to kill the dog, Jeffrey S. Fletcher, 21, of Highspire, according to charging documents filed at Magisterial District Judge Michael Smith's Office.
Both men were charged with cruelty to animals and attempting to kill or maim a domestic animal, according to Smith's office. Fletcher also was charged with possession of an instrument used in a crime and criminal trespass.
Police said they found the men after a tipster recognized a picture of the dog posted on Facebook and gave investigators the name of its owner.
Detectives went to Boyanowski's home. They said he lied several times before confessing he had conspired with Fletcher to kill the dog after it bit Boyanowski's daughter in the face, according to charging documents filed in Smith's office.
The girl received treatment Monday night at the Hershey Medical Center for the bite wounds, which required stitches, and Fletcher was tasked with disposing of the animal, the documents state.
Police then located Fletcher, who admitted to slitting the dog's throat and leaving it to die in a wooded area near where it was ultimately found. Fletcher told police he had to cut the dog three times before it went down because it kept trying to bite him, according to charging documents.
When the detective told Fletcher the dog had survived and was recovering, Fletcher apparently exclaimed, "No way!," the records state.
The dog apparently crawled out of the woods and into the road where McGarry found it.
"I could see blood on his throat, so I pulled up and turned around and came back and I called 911 and I sat there for a while," she said. "He approached the car, he let me pet him and then he laid down and tried to get under the car because it was so cold outside."
Bonner passed by a short time later. He rushed to get a blanket for the wounded animal as police were headed to the scene.
"I just wish the animal cruelty rules were a little tougher," Bonner said. "Because a lot of killers and psychopaths out by killing animals."
McGarry said she also was disturbed by the gruesome nature of the crime, asking why the owner had not simply taken the animal to the Humane Society.
"It will always elude me as to how people can do such a horrible thing," she said. "What could that dog have possibly done to set anybody to do that?"
Boyanowski and Fletcher have their preliminary hearings set for Jan. 6, after they appeared for their preliminary arraignment Thursday. Boyanowski left the District Judge's Office wearing a mask and Fletcher, a red jacket.
Fletcher is in Dauphin County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Boyanowski was released on $10,000 unsecured bail, which means he will pay this amount if he does not appear at any court hearing.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
via http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHzM4xlGFUrExdTmhpbz4hA-ZGf_Q&url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/12/man_who_found_dog_that_survive.html
Show Konversi KodeHide Konversi Kode Show EmoticonHide Emoticon