CRAWFORD COUNTY, OHIO, Ohio — A 17-year-old in Crawford County has been charged after an incident involving the death of a dog.
According to Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall, the sheriff's office received a call regarding a dog's head sitting atop a guardrail post along Stetzer Road on Jan. 14.
Through an investigation, Crall said he has determined that the teen hit the dog on his way to school that morning.
The teen and a friend returned to the scene after school to photograph the scene for insurance purposes as the teen's car was damaged.
When they returned, the teen allegedly placed the dog's head, which he claimed was already detached, on the fence post. Crall said the action was filmed by the friend and posted on social media.
"Based upon a veterinarian's examination, as well as the experience of officers who unfortunately often remove animal carcasses from local roads, it was determined that the dog's head was severed from the animal after it was already deceased," Crall said. "The shared opinion was also that the severing of the head did not occur as part of the accident."
Due to the deceased animal remaining at the scene for nearly 12 hours, Crall said the possibility of an unknown third party decapitating the dog cannot be ignored.
"Coupled with the denial of the juvenile'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," he said.
As a result, Crall said the teen has been charged with criminal mischief.
"For many dog owners, the dog is a member of the family," Crall said. "Despite recent increases in penalties for crimes against companion animals such as a dog, the criminal judicial system will not correct the wrongs committed in this matter."
In his release, Crall asked the community to respect the privacy of everyone directly involved in this incident after several threats of retaliation have been made.
"While the emotions may be understandable, further retaliation will not change what has occurred and may result in criminal charges," he said.