KOKOMO, Ind. — The Howard County Sheriff's Office is investigating a dog found shot in a cage and left on the side of the road. According to police, a 16-year-old is facing preliminary charges of cruelty to an animal and carrying a handgun without a license.
The sheriff's office said it was called on Jan. 26 about a dog that had been shot multiple times and abandoned. The sheriff's office said there was a lot of misinformation spread on social media that made the investigation harder.
They were able to learn that the dog people had been calling "Bear" was actually named Leonard and spoke with its owner. The owner said the dog attacked her and she had to go to the emergency room to get stitches to her nose and face.
When she got home, she called her mother, who has experience working with animals, and asked her to remove the dog from the home. Later, she received a call from the Humane Society that her dog had been found injured and she needed to identify it.
She told police she did not think the dog would be killed when she had it removed from her home.
Police then interviewed the suspects who said they had tried to find a place to take the dog, but no agencies would accept it because of its aggressive nature. They then told police they tried to release Leonard out in the country, but he became aggressive and they were worried he would hurt someone. That's when the 16-year-old got a gun and shot Leonard several times. Once they believed Leonard was dead, they left him in the kennel on the side of the road near SR 19 and 300 South.
This case remains active and any further charges will be forwarded to the Howard County prosecutor once the investigation is finished. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Detective Rod Shaffer at 765-614-3475.
