Suspect:dog hanging about mercy killing

DORR, Mich (WOOD) - Found hung from the neck in the woods near a Dorr Township neighborhood just over a week ago, Chance, the Labrador mix is recovering from a variety of injuries.

The questions of who would do this to an animal and why are in this report from Allegan County sheriff's investigators.

In it, deputies say they were called to the neighborhood after residents heard the dog yelling, and found it hanging from a tree according to the report.

Deputies were able to track down the owner. He's a 22-year-old who was temporarily staying in the area.

He initially denied the abuse. And while he never said he beat the dog, the suspect did eventually admit to hanging him.

He claims he was trying to euthanize the animal, after looking up symptoms on the Internet and determined the dog had liver problems.

The name of the suspect has been redacted in the report because he has not been arraigned.

In the report, the suspect says "... he really messed up and made a huge mistake and didn't mean to do what he did do with the animal."

The suspect told deputies he could not afford the vets bills for treatment, or to put the dog down.

"He had no other means to do so, that to take the animal onto the woods and to do it himself," said Allegan County Sheriff's Lieutenant Mike Larsen.

After reviewing the report, Allegan County Prosecutor Fredrick Anderson decided to charge the dog's owner with animal abandonment and cruelty.

It's a misdemeanor that carries up to 93 days in jail, a possible $1,000 fine and up to 200 hours of community service work.

The Judge has additional options, like ordering psychological evaluations, restitution of court costs and limits on future pet ownership for the suspect.

Anderson says the suspect could have faced felony charges, but only if the dog died or if he could prove willful and malicious intent on the part of the suspect.

After reading the Sheriff's report, Anderson determined the incident did not reach felony status.

Something the people who saved Chance are not happy about. Lanie Mossey from Wishbone Pet Rescue said she plans on taking their complaints to Anderson.