The HSUS Offers Reward in La Porte County, Ind. Dog Shooting

December 24, 2008

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting a family's 11-year-old Labrador retriever found near the Colonial Park Trailer Park in La Porte, Ind. on Dec. 2.
 
The Case:
News reports give the following account: Bernard, a black Labrador retriever, was in his family's yard the morning of Dec. 2, when he broke through their electric fence to chase after an animal in the woods. The dog's body was found several hours later, shot once in the shoulder and once between the eyes. The tags and collar had been removed and the dog's body was hidden under a brush pile.
 
The dog's owner, Jill Ott, said, "For someone to walk up to Bernard and look into his big brown eyes, put the gun to his head and pull the trigger is sickening to me. This is a callous killer."
 
Animal Cruelty:
Getting the serious attention of law enforcement, prosecutors and the community in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the community. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and all manner of other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.
 
"Those who abuse animals can be dangerous to people," said Anne Sterling, The HSUS's Indiana state director. "Americans have no tolerance for violence against the creatures who share our world."
 
The Investigators:
The La Porte County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Deputy Mike Walker at 219-326-7700.
 
Resources:
The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty. To see our journalists' animal cruelty resource guide, which includes information on statistics, trends, laws and animal cruelty categories, go to: humanesociety.org/crueltyresources.
 
                             
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.