Justice for Jane the Pit Bull Pup Shot to Death – Owner Charged

Chillicothe, Ohio - The suspected killer of a Pit Bull pup found shot to death in Ross County, Ohio has been charged. Josh Bone, a resident of Chillicothe, was charged with animal cruelty on March 12, 2014. Bone has been ordered to appear for arraignment in the Ross County Municipal Court on Friday, March 14 at 9:00 a.m. The pup’s body and cage were discovered along a remote road off Union Lane on February 17, 2014. Animal cruelty investigators with the Ohio SPCA picked up the body and cage. A necropsy confirmed that the 6 to 9 month old pup had been shot to death. “Liver fractures also indicated that Jane most likely sustained blunt force trauma to her abdomen. “We are of the opinion that Jane was physically abused prior to being shot and killed,” states Teresa Landon, Ohio SPCA Executive DirectorInformation leading to Bone being charged was called in just five hours after the Ohio SPCA had issued a press release on Monday, February 24, and announced a $1,000 reward. “Based on the evidence collected at the crime scene by our animal cruelty investigators, we knew we had located the dog’s owner, states Landon. The Ohio SPCA handed over all evidence, documentation, and statements to the Ross County Sheriff’s Department. Detective John Winfield was assigned to the case and has conducted numerous interviews for the past two weeks. According to Winfield, “Bone stated that he was having trouble housebreaking the dog and was having a bad day.” Bone admitted to shooting the dog one time with a 380 handgun.If found guilty of the first degree misdemeanor, Bone can be jailed up to 180 days and fined up to $1,000. Bone can also be prevented from owning an animal for an indefinite period of time. In life, Jane’s real name was Coco. “The Ohio SPCA will now seek justice for Coco and we will request that Bone be punished to the fullest extent of the law and never be permitted to own another animal. We carefully covered every base we could in hopes of locating this pup’s killer. Today, the first step towards justice was taken,” states Landon.

February 24, 2014

Seeking Justice for Jane the Pit Bull Pup – Abused and Shot to Death A dog found by a Ross County resident early in the morning on February, 17, 2014, did not freeze to death.Text. An investigation conducted by the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ohio SPCA) has confirmed that the black and white 6-9 month old Pit Bull pup was shot.The body of the dog and a wire cage were discovered along a remote road off Union Lane that leads to the Pleasant Valley Wildlife area. The Ohio SPCA retrieved the dog’s body and had a necropsy performed at the Ohio State University. “Results of the necropsy have confirmed that the dog, now named Jane, died from a bullet wound that penetrated the thoracic wall, lungs, and heart,” states Teresa Landon, Ohio SPCA Executive Director. Liver fractures also indicate that Jane most likely sustained blunt force trauma to her abdomen. “We are of the opinion that Jane was physically abused prior to being shot and killed,” continues Landon.It is believed that the dog was transported in her cage to the area. An examination of the cage and its contents indicate that the pup was shot in the cage and as a result of thrashing about, broke through the back of the cage and dropped dead just a few feet away. The dog’s cage, containing a blanket and pillow, was full of feces and debris.Ohio SPCA volunteer animal cruelty investigators have returned to the area twice and knocked on doors in an effort to obtain possible leads on the dog’s owner. A Ross County rescue group, Pound Bound and Found, is offering a $500 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of Jane’s killer. The Ohio SPCA will double this amount bringing the total to $1,000. “We all want the person who abused and killed this Pit Bull to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Instead of contacting a shelter or rescue for help, this person chose to abuse and kill Jane,” states Landon.Anyone having information about what happened to this dog or who its owner is, should contact the Ohio SPCA by email atOhioSPCA@frontier.com or 740-420-2984.

The Ohio SPCA, Inc. is NOT affiliated with the ASPCA in NYC, and does not receive any government funding. The Ohio SPCA, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit 501c3, charitable corporation. The Ohio SPCA has made great improvements in the lives of animals, especially with rural county dog pound reform throughout Ohio. One of its goals is to educate people, including local officials about animal abuse and neglect prevention. The Ohio SPCA works to save animals across the state of Ohio that are abused and neglected. For more information about the volunteer-staffed no-kill Ohio SPCA go to www.ohiospca.org, call 740-420-2984, or email ohiospca@frontier.com.