After not responding initially, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said it will investigate the skinning and death of a dog over the weekend in the Felida area, and it affirmed that the dog’s death was likely human caused.
Susanne Baumann, 57, found her dog’s body Sunday morning at the edge of her property on Northwest 31st Court. Hair remained on the dog’s head and legs, but the animal’s body was skinned to the muscle, she said.
Baumann said she is confident that a person killed her 7-year-old Lhasa apso, Mr. Magoo.
In a post to Facebook Tuesday, the sheriff’s office also said that although a necropsy of the dog’s body is planned, that appeared to be the case. The sheriff’s office added that it’s reviewing why Mr. Magoo’s death was overlooked by the agency; a deputy didn’t respond Sunday to Baumann’s initial report.
“I’m at a loss right now to explain why we did not respond to this incident on Sunday when it was reported,” Undersheriff Mike Cooke said in the post. “I met with the family today after finding out this occurred, and I feel absolutely terrible about what happened. A deputy sheriff is now conducting a full criminal investigation, and we are also in the process of determining why there was no initial response.”
Baumann said staff at Clark County Animal Control initially told her that she would have to make arrangements and pay for a necropsy herself.
She was all set to take the dog’s remains to Oregon State University on Tuesday, she said. Now that the sheriff’s office has opened a criminal investigation into the matter, the examination will continue, but not on her dime.
“I would have done it in any case,” she said. Of the sheriff’s deputies, she added: “I’m appreciative of the effort they’re making now.”
Baumann said she wished that the investigation had back those missed 48 hours, but she’s glad officials are looking into what happened and hopes they can find the person who is responsible.
Still, the whole experience has been jarring. Baumann said she and her family will head out of town for a spell to collect themselves.
“The other thing that scares me is that, obviously, a person who does something like that is not in his right mind,” she said.
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information about the incident to call its tip line at 877-274-6311.
The Oregon Dog Political Action Committee, a political advocacy group focused on pet welfare, is offering a $1,000 reward toward information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
