The Humane Society of Greater Dayton recently closed a case reported two weeks ago regarding a dog found burnt in the 1000 block of Kammer Avenue in Dayton.

Although it initially appeared to first-responders that the dog had been tied and burnt, upon thorough investigation the Humane Society of Greater Dayton has concluded that the dog was not tied up and was deceased prior to being set on fire.

“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. 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.”

Following an anonymous tip called into the Dayton Police Department, police as well as our humane agent interviewed a juvenile who owned the dog in question. The juvenile was walking with his dog along N. James H. McGee Blvd. when the dog ran into the road and was fatally struck by a vehicle. Reputable store owners and several witnesses confirmed the dog was hit and killed by a vehicle.

At the scene of the accident, witnesses also confirmed the juvenile crying and being clearly distraught in the death of his dog. The juvenile proceeded to carry his deceased pet approximately 0.9 miles back to his home where he reportedly planned to bury it in his backyard. However, the juvenile was not allowed to bury the dog in the backyard. 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. He placed a duffle bag onto a cement slab, put lighter fluid on it and then placed the deceased dog on top. The straps that appeared under the dog’s legs when police arrived were actually the straps from the duffle bag. There were no straps used to bind the dog’s legs as first reported.

Despite initial reports, we have concluded there is no evidence of animal cruelty, abuse or neglect in this case. Thanks to the work of our humane agent, the arson investigator and local police, we were able to work together to get to the bottom of this situation and confirm this was clearly a lack of education with no proper adult guidance on animal care.

“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. The Humane Society of Greater Dayton takes animal cruelty very seriously and we want to thank all of the people who shared this story and acted as our eyes and ears within the community,” said Weltge. “We hope in the future this incident will act as a learning tool for others to understand what options are available when disposing of a pet who has passed.”

Proper Animal Disposal

Many, similar to this juvenile, are not aware that when a pet sadly passes away there are options available to the public to properly dispose of the body. In fact, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton works with a company specializing in pet cremation. Animals can be brought to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton in a non-clear plastic bag where they are then sent away to be cremated. For more information or pricing on these services, visit  www.hsdayton.org  or call (937) 268-7387.

How to Help

The Humane Society of Greater Dayton is dedicated to building a community in which all animals are valued and free from suffering and family life is enhanced through the relationships with pets. Founded 116 years ago, it is the largest no-kill animal welfare agency in the Miami Valley. It focuses on pet adoptions, eliminating pet overpopulation, providing education and ensuring the humane treatment of all types of animals.

We have had many who have wanted to help in some way following this case. The best way to direct your donations is through our Rescue Fund. This fund was created to help care for the animals who come through our shelter as part of cruelty/neglect investigations. This goes to medical care and other specialized expenses these animals may need to recover. Click here to donate to the Rescue Fund and be a Champion for Animals in Need.

For more information about the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, call (937) 268-PETS (7387) or visit  www.hsdayton.org.

Do you have a barn, stable or outdoor shelter? We have barn cats who need your help!

Help us find homes for these feral or semi-feral cats at our facility. These cats may not make wonderful domestic pets, but they are still healthy and would do wonderful in a barn setting. Plus, they can help with keeping any unwanted rodents away!

All barn cats are spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and ear-tipped prior to being relocated and our staff will help you with the adjustment period needed to make this transition a success. All you need to do is provide daily food/water, a shelter out of weather and long-term vet care to any cat you choose to take. For more information, e-mail mphillips@hsdayton.org or visit our website .

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the most SUPER Animal Event of the year! Dust off those capes. Grab your super pet! It's time for the Furry Skurry 5K & Furry Fest!

Sat., May 26, 2018

Eastwood MetroPark

Don't want to race? Don't worry, we have plenty of other fun things for the family to do during Furry Fest! This year entry into Furry Fest is just $5 per person and those 16 and younger are free. If you signed up for either race or goat yoga, you do not have to pay the entry fee.

Fun activities this year include:

Thank you to Petco Foundation , Subaru of Dayton , Chipotle Dayton City Paper , Elizabeth Diamond Company , LexisNexis , Friends of the Humane Society MedVet Medical & Cancer Center , MiracleCorp , Meijer , Voss Auto Network , Dayton Magazine and Secret Eden for generously sponsoring this year's event!

Another great month here at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton! In March, our Trap-Neuter-Return program was able to spay or neuter 91 community cats. To give you some perspective, with these 91 cats that can no longer reproduce, we are preventing an estimated 24,221 cats from being born into our community as strays over they next five years! For more information on our Trap-Neuter-Return program, click here .