Disturbing moment child sneaks into family’s back yard ‘to commit unspeakable acts against their pet dog’
A family is left in grief after their beloved dog was brutally burned with a lighter. A neighborhood child is the prime suspect.
Latricia Jones, the owner of three-and-a-half-year-old pit bull terrier Bear, believes her nine-year-old neighbor is responsible for Bear’s injuries.
Doorbell camera footage shows the child repeatedly going in and out of the family’s backyard. Jones is convinced the brutal act took place while the unknown youth was visiting.
“He’s stable now. He’s on antibiotics and pain medication, so I think the pain medication is numbing him a little bit,” Jones told Fox5. “He’s resting. He cries sometimes.”
Prince George’s County police and the Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the matter, but no charges have been filed at this time.
A Maryland family is heartbroken after their beloved pit bull terrier was brutally burned with a lighter, and a neighborhood child is a suspect
Latricia Jones, owner of 3.5-year-old pit bull terrier Bear, suspects a 9-year-old neighbor is responsible for Bear’s injuries. The child, whose face is obscured, is seen entering the home in this footage
Jones said she believes the boy used a lighter to burn holes in her dog’s back. She now believes the child is lying about being at her home, despite footage clearly showing him there.
She is currently fighting to have her concerns taken seriously, without any video evidence of the actual burning.
“Without actual footage of him burning the dog, it’s like they’re saying, ‘Well, he didn’t do that,’ but he also said he didn’t go in the backyard… I’ve seen him on camera three times going in the backyard when no one else was there,” Jones said.
The incident has shocked the community, and many have expressed their support for the family
“We’re devastated. My whole family is devastated. The community is devastated. I have neighbors who have known the dog since he was six weeks old … they’ve come over and when they see him, they cry,” Jones added.
Prince George’s County police and the fire marshal’s office are investigating the matter, but no charges have been filed at this time.
While Bear is recovering, the road to recovery is expected to be long and difficult. Veterinarians estimate that surgery to remove dead skin could cost upwards of $10,000.
Annapolis veterinarian Dr. Marianne Bailey explained the severity of Bear’s injuries.
“Burns of this magnitude can be incredibly difficult to treat,” she said. “For a large dog with a burn that covers a significant portion of its back, recovery can take weeks or even months.”
‘There is a high chance of complications and the scar will be large.
‘Unfortunately, hair growth in that area may never fully recover.’
Jones said she wants the child to be held accountable.
While the bear is recovering, the road to recovery is expected to be long and difficult. Veterinarians estimate that surgery to remove dead skin could cost more than $10,000
“I know he can’t go to jail. I don’t want him to go to jail,” Jones said. “He’s 9 years old, but I want to see if he can get some kind of professional intervention, you know.
“I want his parents to take responsibility and acknowledge that he did this.
“The police say it concerns a minor, and that there is not much they can do in a juvenile case like this.”
a GoFundMe A campaign has been started to cover Bear’s medical costs.