By Christina M. Wright, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — The bodies of more than 10 headless dogs were recovered Friday after being dumped in the middle of Fall Creek in southwestern Madison County.
The bodies were pulled from the creek by Pendleton Fire Department divers and taken to Anderson, where investigators hoped to identify the breeds.
The Anderson Humane Society is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Other rewards might also be in the offing, said Maleah Stringer, program director of Anderson Animal Care and Control, where the bodies were taken.
At the macabre scene Friday, Madison County and Anderson investigators gathered on a bridge along County Road 750 North, about a mile northwest of Ingalls. They watched Pendleton divers use a hook to move the bodies in about a foot of water from the middle of the creek to shore.
The bodies had clearly been tossed from the bridge, investigators said, but they could not determine how the long the dogs had been in the creek.
The recovery, which began at 9:25 a.m., took about 90 minutes as divers often had to wait for the muddy creek to clear.
The bodies were placed in plastic bags and carried to the bed of an Anderson Animal Care and Control truck by staffer Danny Davis. As he hauled one bag, he stated, “Never seen anything like this.”
Though a reward is offered, charges may be limited.
“Dead animal disposal laws only apply to livestock: cows, pigs, horses, goats,” said Denise Derrer, spokeswoman for the State Board of Animal Health. “So, as far as we’re concerned, no laws were broken.”
Madison County Sheriff Ron Richardson, who was at the scene, said diving teams recovered eight dogs that did not have heads or fur.
He said more may be in the water, but Friday’s snowstorm postponed further recovery until Monday.
The sheriff said veterinarians were working to answer questions.
“Were these actually pets or were they wild animals?” he said. “Did the fur come off in the water or did someone remove the fur?”
Joseph Riley, of Anderson, found the dogs Thursday afternoon while he was searching the creek for rocks to outline his koi pond. He said he could see muscular builds on the bodies and noticed that the dismemberment was caused by “clean cuts.”
“It wasn’t nothing natural,” he said.
He called authorities, who decided to wait until daylight to make recovery.
Riley originally thought the dogs could be pit bulls, but later reports revealed they could be other breeds with sleek athletic bodies.
Richardson said the carcasses were of varying sizes and one body seemed to be a completely different breed from the others. The sheriff said he would not speculate on potential charges until more facts were known.
“Until we have someone who is identified as the one that disposed of (these animals), we would be talking to the health department, the commissioner’s office and the prosecutor to see if there are any statutes that cover that.”
Mike Sutton, an on-scene coordinator for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, said he stopped at the creek Friday morning and determined there shouldn’t be any contamination concerns.
“At this time, I don’t see any issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, Madison County Health Department spokeswoman Kellie Kelley said representatives were assessing whether there could be any health concerns.
The discovery of the bodies angered dog lovers.
“The whole thing is just horrific,” said Stringer, also a columnist for The Herald Bulletin. Her organization, Anderson Animal Care and Control, was not conducting the investigation. Anyone with information has been asked to call the Madison County Sheriff’s office at 642-0221.
Sally Allen, president of rescue group USA Defenders of Greyhounds based in Indianapolis, said, “It’s shocking and it makes no sense.”
Her group rescues greyhounds no longer used for racing. She said that some owners of raccoon-hunting hounds occasionally interbreed the hounds, known for their hunting sense, with faster greyhounds for competition.
At the worst, a greyhound owner might cut off the head to avoid identity through a tattoo or marking, she said.
“Coon hunters don’t go to cutting the heads off and throwing the bodies away. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.
