Episode 41

full
Published on:

4th Mar 2024

Felony Animal Cruelty Case: State of Ohio v. Leshawn Gilleland

Warning: This episode discusses the details of a case of animal cruelty where the defendant was charged with felony animal cruelty.

We are joined by Sandusky Chief Dog Warden Kelly Pocock, whose hard work and determination resulted in the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of a dog killer. Solving this case involved crime scene investigation, necropsy, blood spatter, interrogation, and interviews and is a case that should be an example to other officers facing similar cases. This case also includes the presentation to the court of a Victim Impact Statement on behalf of the deceased dog, something that we do not see because animals are not normally recognized as victims of crime, just property.

In addition to the interview with Kelly, our listeners will be able to hear the interview with the suspect and, along with us, dissect the information to determine if he is telling the truth or not.

Following Kelly's interview, we follow up with the Humane Society of the United States' Laura Koivula, who shares how the HSUS assisted this small rural town with this big investigation.

Help us spread the word by liking, rating, and sharing this podcast. Let's share the voice of this dog and encourage others to do more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

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Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

Transcript
DrG:

Hi and welcome to the Animal Welfare Junction.

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This is your host Dr.

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G and our music is written

and produced by Mike Sullivan.

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I want to warn everybody that

today's episode is about a case

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of criminal assault on a dog.

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We're going to be discussing a traumatic

experience that a dog suffered, a dog

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that did die from that experience.

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So I want everybody that's listening

to take self care and make sure

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that they're not too affected by

what we're going to be discussing.

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To discuss this case, we have Kelly

Pocock from Sandusky County, and

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she's going to introduce herself and

let us know, where she started and

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how she got to where she's at today.

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Kelly Pocock: Hi, I'm Kelly.

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I'm the Chief Dog Warden and, um,

Chief Humane Agent for Sandusky County.

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We are located up in Fremont, Ohio.

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Um, I started as an animal cruelty

investigator, um, I think I watched

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the first ever episode of Animal

Cops and I was on my couch and I

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was just like woke up instantly.

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This is what I'm supposed

to do with my life.

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Um, that was in like the year 2000.

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So, um, minus a couple of years

that I've taken off, I've done

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this for the last 25 years.

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Um, we've seen a lot of legal

changes, law changes, we've, we've

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dealt with a lot of this stuff.

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We've watched this grow into a much

needed field over the last 25 years.

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DrG: Thank you so much for being here

and for sharing the story of this dog.

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I mean, it's a story that needs

to be told just because it.

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It has a lot of issues as far as the

link between human violence and animal

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violence , and we want to let people

know that sometimes the good guys win

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and the people that do bad things

to animals do get to pay for it.

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So for anyone not familiar with this

case, this new segment from ABC 13 Action

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News summarizes the initial findings.

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ABC 13 Action News: It's a

heartbreaking image of a dog,

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killed at the hands of abuse.

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Just from the evidence at the scene,

it appeared that the dog had died

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from blunt force trauma to the head.

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Kelly Pocock is the

Sandusky County Dog Warden.

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She posted this picture to the

dog kennel's Facebook page with

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the hope of generating some leads.

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Anybody that saw anything, no

matter how small they think it, of

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a detail they think that it might

be, it could be a huge detail to us.

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Pocock says, Fremont police contacted

her office after someone riding a

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bike called 9 1 1 about the dog.

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It was off the North Coast inland

Trail near Roger Young Park.

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According to investigators, the person

who spotted the dog's body came down

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this trail at about 10 o'clock Sunday

morning and did not see anything.

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When that person returned around

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Blood splattered on the pavement

leading down the bank of the Sandusky

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River to the body of that dog.

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They did not see the

blood splatter at 10 a.

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m.

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But they did see it at 11 45.

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So we know that it happened

between those hours.

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The sign on the bridge states

surveillance cameras in use.

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However, Pocock says they're

not pointed at this area.

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She sent the dog for a necropsy at O.

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S.

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U.

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It will help determine how the dog died.

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DrG: Kelly, can you tell us about that

day, what was the call that you got

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and, and what happened after that?

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Kelly Pocock: So initially, our local

police department, the Fremont police

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department, they were dispatched.

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Someone had called in that they were

jogging along the bike trail and that

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they saw a deceased dog down on the rocks.

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They arrived on scene first.

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They immediately knew that

there was foul play involved.

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They gave us a call.

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We responded.

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It was a Sunday.

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We responded due to the situation,

and as soon as we saw the, the scene

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as well, we, we knew that there

was, some malevity going on there.

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Just the, the layout of the scene, the

evidence that was left there, the way

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the dog was laying, the amount of blood

in certain areas, we, we knew that

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there was, um, something most probably

illegal that had had taken place.

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DrG: Somebody walked by that

area, and didn't see anything.

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And then when they came back,

then they saw the blood trail.

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Kelly Pocock: Correct.

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And then they followed the blood

trail down and they could see the

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dog down about 30 feet on the rocks.

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DrG: And the blood trail was

underneath a bridge within the trail?

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Kelly Pocock: There's like, um, I'm

not even sure what the tunnel is

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there for, but it's a bike trail, and

then there's this , there's a train

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trestle that goes over top of it.

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So there's this little tiny it's

only maybe 50 feet long, but it

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is a little tiny tunnel that you

walk under for the bike trail.

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Um, it's, it connects about a quarter

of a mile back to one of our local

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baseball parks in the city of Fremont,

and then it kind of comes over to an

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area where there's a bridge and I'll

take you downtown so it's kind of

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a very busy area.

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So I was a little like,

how did this happen?

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There's like 200 people at this baseball

park right now, a quarter of a mile away.

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How did nobody hear or see

anything is initially like

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somebody had to see something.

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So, I mean, before we ever even started

to process the scene, I'm putting plans

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in my head about, like, how are we going

to do this, um, we're going to have to

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get something out on Facebook so we can

start asking people if you saw anything,

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if you were in this area, if you just

think it was nothing, but it could have

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been something, call us and tell us,

looking for any amount of, um, feedback

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from the community that we could possibly

get because we knew it was going to be

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a struggle to prove who owned this dog.

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Once we got there, we immediately

started to process the scene.

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We photographed everything.

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Fremont Police Department was

amazing in their assistance to us.

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Um, they helped get the dog up.

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It was a pretty steep incline, very

large kind of boulder type rocks.

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Um, easily your feet would

slip out from underneath you.

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So they went down and even helped us

get the, get her body up to the edge

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so that we could kind of take a better

look at her and see what was going on.

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They assisted us in numerous other ways.

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They were pretty incredible

throughout the whole situation.

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DrG: What was your 1st

impression of the dog?

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Kelly Pocock: So I would have walked

right past her and I would have missed her

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because she was, um, like a grayish black,

female pit bull, very young, probably

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somewhere between eight to 12 months old.

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But the way she was positioned down on

the rocks, again, it was like probably

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a good 30 feet down, she was belly up.

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So her belly blended

with all of those rocks.

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I had to literally like scan back

and forth in order to even, they're

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like, she's right down there.

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Well, they didn't really

walk over and point it out.

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So I like go to the edge and I'm

looking and I'm trying to like, my

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eyes are scanning back and forth

and it took me a minute to find her.

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So, um, you know, I mean, she was kind

of, you know, I don't want to say like

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spread out like her arms, like her

front legs were above her head her back

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legs were kind of stretched out, which

would have been like if she had been in

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her belly would have been behind her.

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And then there was like, all the way down,

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there was like a blood trail, but

then there was like one area where

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there was a large accumulation

of a good amount of blood.

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And then the blood trail went down

further, but there was like less

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blood in the trail as it went down

from like that initial kind of large

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quantity of blood down to where the

dog was where we, where we found her.

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DrG: You collected the body,

took pictures, which you

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took really great pictures.

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You know, you took pictures that

showed the whole scene, pictures

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from a mid range, closeup pictures

of everything, including the

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blood pooling, the, the trail.

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And, uh, and then as you mentioned

in the rocks, there was an area

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that had more blood and then the

area where, where she was at.

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Kelly Pocock: Um, we took

her back to the kennel.

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We attempted to pose her in, in a way

that we, because we know there's a lot

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of people that follow our Facebook page.

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So we, we try to pose them in a

way, but we didn't, we had to be

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very, Careful with her because we

didn't want to disturb any evidence.

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So, you know, we're trying to

pose her in a way so that we can

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get a picture of the dog that was

killed out there to the public.

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So if they recognize the dog, we're

going to get that feedback as well.

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Um, but that was that proved to be

a little bit more difficult because

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we didn't want to disturb any of the

possible evidence that was on the body.

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So, um, yeah.

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That probably shows that photograph

in the news feed that you just played

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so you can see like you obviously

can tell that she's deceased.

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Um, there was definite injuries , like

we knew the cause of death before we

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sent her body in for a necropsy , that

was very evident, of course, the

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necropsy determined and then Dr.

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G can.

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Like continued on with that,

like, um, exactly like how many

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times she was hit in the head.

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Um, additional injuries that

occurred during that assault to her.

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Um, but we were able to kind of like,

hey, we're looking for information on who

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possibly could have owned this dog and.

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You know, um, if anybody has any

information, you can call this into us.

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You can remain anonymous.

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We're just looking for information.

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We got a couple like, Hey, I

noticed this house over here,

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it had a dog and I haven't seen

a dog there since that day.

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So we would like go follow up on

every single lead that came in.

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We would go follow up on that.

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Um, again, Fremont police department was

key in helping us trace down some of these

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they were getting anonymous tips as well

that they were following up on their own.

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Nothing was really panning out.

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And, um, I had already reached out to

the Humane Society of the United States.

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They assisted us in, um, getting

that necropsy performed.

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They assisted us in

getting in contact with Dr.

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G, um, so that we could get the forensic

veterinarian knowledge put into the case.

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But they also offered to put up a

reward, which was, I thought like for

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this small little rural community,

like this is really going to be key.

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And getting people that are afraid

to open up, they'll open up.

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Like, you can still remain anonymous.

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Like, we don't have to really share

your name and information to anyone.

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Blah, blah, blah.

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No one wanted the reward.

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Every single person that called in an

anonymous tip wanted to stay anonymous.

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They didn't care about the reward.

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They wanted justice for this dog.

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So, like, at the same time that, like,

My faith in society is being destroyed.

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My faith in society is being

rebuilt like in another on

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another level somewhere else.

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We had gotten numerous anonymous

tips, um, a lot of these tips were

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coming in from family and friends.

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Um, they did not want to be named.

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They made it very clear to us that they

were afraid of this person, but they're

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like, that dog was there the other day.

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That dog's not there anymore.

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Um, I went back over to make sure

and that maybe the dog just, I

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asked what happened to the dog.

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Nothing's wrong, she's in the

house, but you can't come in.

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So there were like multiple

statements like that.

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So we had a, a lot of people

pointing towards Leshawn Gilleland.

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I would say somewhere between probably

seven to 10 different anonymous tips

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that pointed us in the

direction of Leshawn Gilleland.

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So, you know, some of them came in

and they were just, go check, I saw

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this dog, I haven't seen this dog.

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We did a couple of those, but the majority

of the information that was coming

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to us was, um, this is what happened.

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And then as we got closer, you

know, we just had a little bit,

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like his name's being mentioned

in these anonymous tips to us.

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And then, the big, I guess, anonymous

tip came in from the friend that

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said, hey, like, I know I gave

him that dog when it was a puppy.

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This is what's going on.

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Like, I, he won't tell me why,

but I know that he did it.

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I know that that was the dog.

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He's been acting funny ever since, like,

we're not going to be friends anymore.

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And he was, I mean, I don't really

want my name mentioned, but then

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again, I don't really care either.

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So, we ended up coming across this

lead because the individual responsible

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for her death started to brag.

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If he would have never opened his mouth, I

don't think we ever would have caught him.

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They had words in regards

to the whole situation.

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Um, and I mean, like, lifelong friends

and they're no longer friends because

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this person was adamant that you

just don't treat animals like that.

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Um, he no longer cared if he knew.

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In fact, there was, they worked together.

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There was an altercation broke

up at work because he was calling

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him out on what he had done.

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He wanted to know why , Mr.

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Gilleland refused to tell him why.

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And like, it just so happened that

that happened, and then the next

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day I got with, uh, um, and our

investigator for the prosecutor's

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office, and he went with me to his

place of employment so that we could do

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an interview and, um, so obviously

we audio video reported that.

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So at that point, it was like,

well, now we have enough evidence

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to move forward on at least going

and bringing him in for questioning.

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Let's see where what he

claims happened that day.

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If he, if he says anything,

where was he that day?

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Does he have an alibi that he was

with that can say "no, sorry, he was

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with me all day", "we weren't around

the dog", "I don't know what happened

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to the dog", or he might be able to

say, "Hey, the dog that, you know,

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they're all putting the finger at looks

like the dog that you guys found".

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But, you know, I mean, we always

try to give like, every possible,

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like, we could have a million options

sitting in front of us and we're

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trying not to rule out anything.

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We want this to take us

where the proof lies.

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So we know that, you know,

we're going to show up.

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Most people deny this.

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So literally that's what I was expecting.

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I was expecting him to deny like, "I

don't know, I've never seen that dog.

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No, I had a dog that looked like her,

but I got that dog and I sent her to a

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friend's house over in so and so city".

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So that's kind of what my expectation

was of going over and talking to him.

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Um, the investigator that we used, he

is a, um, like 40 plus year veteran.

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He is, was amazing detective before

he became an investigator for the

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prosecutor's office , and he just

really knows how to talk to people and

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he, um, sat down and I, I asked him

to assist me with this because it's

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not something that I would normally

question people about, and I want

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to do the best job I can on this.

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So I have no problem asking for help.

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So we sat down with him together and

investigator Odo led the conversation with

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Leshawn and he, he never denied it at all.

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Yes.

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I know why you're here.

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I know the, yes, that was my dog.

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Yes, she is dead.

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I did kill her.

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Um, but then he went on to the, I had

to kill her because she was suffering.

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He thought he had justification

because he claims she was hit by a car.

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He's still to this day claims

that she was hit by a car.

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So that was kinda like, okay, so now I

had this other whole part of this case

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that I have to prove the intent to harm.

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And so that it, it wasn't like a, an

act of ending an animal suffering.

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Um, so then, you know, we're, it's

kind of like this whole rat race to

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get to the point that we're at, only

to find out where're in another hole.

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But like, that's, that's the way it goes.

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So, um, he just, he never denied.

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He, he said he did it.

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My story's not going to change.

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I didn't talk to anybody about this.

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I've never spoken to anybody about this.

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If they tell you they

talked to me, they're liars.

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He made that comment to us multiple times.

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If you make that comment to me once, okay.

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You make it to me multiple

times, you told somebody.

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You just kind of get that gut feeling.

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You told somebody and you're

trying to get out in front of that.

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That's human nature.

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Get out in front of the

lie that you just said.

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So, you know, we just like we we told

him we weren't going to arrest him the

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day that we were there to speak to him.

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We told him we want you to go back

home, you know, to your family.

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We just need to know what

happened to this dog.

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We need to know what's going on.

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We have to find closure for

this case and for this animal.

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Um, if there was foul play, we have

to find justice for this animal.

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Um, and we stayed good to our word, like

we didn't, we didn't arrest him that day,

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we let him say his piece, we went back,

we evaluated it, we went over the audio.

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We could find no scientific

evidence of that.

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We could find no physical evidence.

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No video evidence of all of the

cameras in the area of where he

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claimed the dog had been hit by a car.

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Um, he didn't see it happen.

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He didn't even see the car.

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He never saw the dog even fall down.

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Somebody told him, hey, your dog was

just hit by a car and he turned around

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and the dog was already walking to him.

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So he didn't see any like.

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The story wasn't adding up where he's

telling us the dogs been hit by a car.

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So we were pretty sure that, like,

with all the video, um, the security

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footage we gathered from all of

the local businesses and stuff that

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there, the dog was never hit by a car.

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Um, we sent it to you so

that you could evaluate it.

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DrG: So I, let's go over that

interview because that was a,

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that was a really good interview.

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Like you mentioned, I mean the

investigator did a really good job as

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far as the questions that he was asking.

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And what, and there were a lot of

things that, that he said that he

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was kinda allowing himself to be led.

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Gilleland: I'm just,

I'm gonna be get real.

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'cause I don't wanna bullshit.

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I don't do karma.

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Lauren, this, this,

this is how it happened.

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I was having a week.

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I picked her up and I picked her up.

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Um, she came out the house.

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I was took her for a walk, there

was he chewed up something and um,

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Detective: What's dog's name?

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Gilleland: Um, ganja dogs.

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That dog that it is that

it wasn't my, it is my dog.

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Dog's name was ganja.

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Took her for a walk cause

they wanted to get away.

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She talks some baby shit and

kicking and we having fun.

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I'm taking her.

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She walked.

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Somebody's like smacks her like by the

head, but she looks like she's fine.

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She looks like she's fine.

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So I keep walking her.

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I'm taking her on.

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You see where everything

that was on the trail.

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She's on the trail.

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I'm walking straight.

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I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm

walking on the trail and I'm walking.

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I'm like, she's not behind me.

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. She's, she's, she's, so, she

wasn't not a leash or anything?

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She wasn't, she was.

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No, I never, I've been, I, I've

been training her how to walk.

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She's more friendly than my other dog.

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Mm-hmm.

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. And I want, I got the dog, puppy from

my daughter, like was for her like

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protection, just sense of security.

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That's why I got her in the first place.

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Mm-hmm.

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. And so as I'm walking after that

happened, she looked like she was fine.

353

:

Like she was still walking when we

were, when I got where the tunnel's at.

354

:

Where the, where you seen everything at.

355

:

I was walking and she wasn't following me.

356

:

Mm-hmm.

357

:

. And I was like, so I went back,

she was on the ground shaking.

358

:

Mm-hmm.

359

:

, it looked like she was suffering.

360

:

And I just didn't know what to do.

361

:

She was suffering like it

looked like she was mm-hmm.

362

:

. She was just shaking.

363

:

When you say somebody hit her, somebody.

364

:

Yeah.

365

:

Well, I was walking across,

I wasn't paying attention.

366

:

Mm-hmm.

367

:

, I was walking across the street I

was talking to somebody said hi.

368

:

I was walking across, she just took off.

369

:

Mm-hmm.

370

:

, boom.

371

:

They kept going when she

looked like she was fine.

372

:

Detective: So somebody in a car?

373

:

Gilleland: Yeah.

374

:

In a car, yeah.

375

:

Detective: Hit her.

376

:

Gilleland: She looked like she was fine.

377

:

I was like, I kept walking with her.

378

:

When we got, when I took her up there,

when we got to the fucking, where

379

:

that, where that the tunnel's at.

380

:

I kept walking because normally

she's like right behind me.

381

:

She's not too far.

382

:

She's real playful.

383

:

She just wasn't, and when I

turned around, I walked back.

384

:

I was all the way.

385

:

It's the tunnel, and I got to, basically

where on the trail where it wraps around

386

:

like it's getting ready to come up.

387

:

I stopped there 'cause I was

like, normally I'd be like, God,

388

:

she always woo she comes to me.

389

:

She wasn't, she was there,

where are you seeing it at?

390

:

And then I did that 'cause I was

like, I felt like she was suffering.

391

:

And that's why I did it.

392

:

And then I got nervous because, um,

I was trying to put her peacefully,

393

:

like down there by the rocks.

394

:

And I put her, I tucked her,

but then, then she fell.

395

:

So I, I went back down there and

I tried to move it and then I seen

396

:

people coming and I just didn't want to

397

:

Detective: kind of freaked you out.

398

:

Gilleland: It freaked me out.

399

:

So I, so I left.

400

:

So it looked like I did some gruesome.

401

:

Detective: So did you, did you have

to put your dog, I'm going to say

402

:

put your dog down, did you have to,

403

:

I don't know, put the dog down?

404

:

Gilliland: Yeah, yeah, because she was,

yeah, but she was like, it was shaking

405

:

and stuff was coming out of her mouth.

406

:

Detective: So how, how did

you end up doing that then?

407

:

Gilliland: No, I just picked, I

didn't, I panicked, I just picked

408

:

up the thing and I just hit it.

409

:

Detective: With a rock you said?

410

:

Gilleland: Yeah, yeah, that's what it was.

411

:

I didn't, I didn't want to do it

as my, as opposed to my daughter.

412

:

You feel me?

413

:

But she was

414

:

just,

415

:

Gilliland: she was shaking and shit.

416

:

And I just didn't know what to do.

417

:

And I didn't want to take

her back to the house.

418

:

Like, I didn't, I didn't

know what else to do.

419

:

Detective: So you just took her

down and put her in the rocks?

420

:

Gilleland: And then I just been

having everybody like, It's

421

:

like, and then I'm seeing like

what they said on the internet.

422

:

And I go, wait, like, no,

but like nobody was there.

423

:

Nobody, everybody made it sound like.

424

:

That was my dog, you feel me?

425

:

It was for my daughter.

426

:

And I didn't want to do that.

427

:

Everybody just...

428

:

It was overwhelming.

429

:

I would have been sad to death.

430

:

That was my dog.

431

:

But it just...

432

:

I was like, ah, it's a

potential situation in jail.

433

:

And then I just had my daughter.

434

:

I didn't want to talk about it.

435

:

And then the person that I got the dog

from, my friend, he's mad at me for it.

436

:

I didn't want to explain it to him because

I thought the law would get involved.

437

:

And so I just kind of kept it to myself.

438

:

I kind of been holding on to it.

439

:

I damn near cried when I did it

because I was, I wasn't, you feel me?

440

:

But I should have been, I guess I

should have said something, but it's

441

:

a lot going on, man, I just didn't.

442

:

Detective: Did you think about maybe

calling the police or anything, or

443

:

taking the dog to a vet, or what?

444

:

Gilleland: Um, my background, I'm better

now, but I don't like dealing with it.

445

:

And I just felt like, what can they do?

446

:

It was my dog, it was more

sentimental value, I just felt

447

:

like there's nothing there.

448

:

Detective: It just doesn't look good.

449

:

Yeah, I know.

450

:

The way it went down, I mean.

451

:

Yeah, I know.

452

:

People are saying that you just killed the

dog because you didn't want it anymore.

453

:

Gilleland: No, I want the dog.

454

:

Every day, I love the dog.

455

:

I'm gonna take it.

456

:

Her, she's the reason why my other dog...

457

:

That like, calm down.

458

:

Like, that was like his,

you know what I'm saying?

459

:

He was peace for me too.

460

:

'cause she's so, like, uh, she

was so, I'm kind of like a ah,

461

:

like a rah rah type of person.

462

:

And her being around forced me to

like, you know, like, relax, calm down.

463

:

And the reason I got it was

just like, for my daughter.

464

:

And I don't know.

465

:

Detective: Okay.

466

:

So I have to ask.

467

:

Yeah.

468

:

Because if I don't ask, my boss's

gonna say, well, did you ask him this?

469

:

So, you didn't kill the dog to

get rid of the dog because...

470

:

No.

471

:

Okay.

472

:

You went out to the hospital

a couple weeks before that.

473

:

Yeah.

474

:

Was it that dog that bit you?

475

:

Gilleland: No, no, no.

476

:

That was a random dog.

477

:

They were both outside.

478

:

It was like a white brownish,

kind of like a pit bull dog.

479

:

She was, um, I don't

never put her on a leash.

480

:

She doesn't need it.

481

:

She knows where to go.

482

:

I put the big dog on a leash.

483

:

So, I was, um...

484

:

I put her on a leash.

485

:

I didn't, I put, I was putting him

while I was putting him on a leash.

486

:

The random dog came like he

was running towards my dog.

487

:

So I tried to run in there.

488

:

He got me on my arm.

489

:

Yeah, he did.

490

:

He got me on my arm

and I ended up falling.

491

:

Detective: Is that the scars there from?

492

:

Gilleland: Yeah, yeah.

493

:

I have this too and this is

already healing, but as I fell,

494

:

he got, my other dog was chained.

495

:

My other dog probably would have tore him

up, but he was on, he was on the chain.

496

:

And then, um, I was on my way to work.

497

:

I just went, I ended up

going to, it's right.

498

:

It's feeling up.

499

:

I can't, I'm going to take my pants off.

500

:

It's healed up, but

that's how that happened.

501

:

It was just a random dog.

502

:

Sometimes, it wasn't the neighbor's dog,

but sometimes dogs would randomly come.

503

:

And I was nervous.

504

:

I'm like, oh, he's outside.

505

:

I'm like, oh, he's gonna get my puppy.

506

:

Detective: Did you tell anybody

what happen, that somebody

507

:

would maybe misconstrue

508

:

Gilleland: I never, I never

talked to anybody about it.

509

:

I never told, I never, you're the

first people I talked to about it.

510

:

My friend was mad, I got, the

dog was mad at me because I

511

:

wouldn't talk to him about it.

512

:

I just said I don't want

to talk about it right now.

513

:

I've never told, I've never...

514

:

Detective: Were people saying

that you killed the dog on purpose

515

:

because you didn't want it?

516

:

I guess, I'm trying to figure

out how we ended up hearing that.

517

:

Gilleland: Um, I, I, from what I, from

what I heard recently, two days ago, I

518

:

have a friend that's like a brother to me.

519

:

Uh, we've been friends for

years, they're my brother.

520

:

We had a falling out.

521

:

I basically...

522

:

Cut him out of my life, even

when I stopped talking to

523

:

him, I just kicked him out.

524

:

And I'm pretty sure he's the one

that, cause like somebody told me that

525

:

was . Cause he told, he told people

that he did, he told people that he

526

:

did it, but he did that out of spite.

527

:

I told him, you are the first person,

people that I've told, that have told

528

:

any of this to, like the whole way.

529

:

Nobody else, not even the

people I, nobody knows.

530

:

Nobody knows how it happened,

nobody knows why it happened, I

531

:

just didn't want to talk about it.

532

:

K Pocock: Did you just tell anybody that

you killed the dog, but you didn't...

533

:

Gilleland: I never told

any, I didn't tell anybody.

534

:

I didn't tell anybody anything.

535

:

I have had people try to like get me to

say it on like, ask me on the internet.

536

:

I just, I ignore, I don't talk about it.

537

:

I've never, I've never talked.

538

:

This is the first time.

539

:

Detective: Did you see

the car hit your dog?

540

:

Gilleland: No, I just heard it.

541

:

I was turned around.

542

:

Um, I, I happened by, um, I live.

543

:

I'm there all the time on . I'm

walking like towards, uh, like

544

:

towards the bars, like, uh,

545

:

Detective: Where do you get on the bike?

546

:

Gilleland: That, that little street.

547

:

Um, I take it when I, I walk

the dog the same way everywhere.

548

:

I either, um, I come down where I'm

at, or I walk all the way around.

549

:

I usually take him like

around the whole entire city.

550

:

I go through the trail and go up Buchanan

and then come back like a circle.

551

:

And I'm walking, walking back.

552

:

Detective: You started to

tell me and I interrupted you,

553

:

um, where the dog got hit.

554

:

Gilleland: Um, it's like between, uh,

I was coming around and like, uh, it's,

555

:

it's the bars, not a little space.

556

:

Then what's that street, uh, in between

like, uh, where, where's, where,

557

:

where's the Chunky Dunks place at?

558

:

Detective: Chunky Dunks?

559

:

Gilleland: Oh, um, it's, it's, it's

like, it was, it was around that way,

560

:

K Pocock: Park and Napoleon

561

:

Gilleland: but it looked like when,

after it happened, she was fine.

562

:

Like, it looked like

she just shook it off.

563

:

I'm like, yeah.

564

:

I'm like, yeah.

565

:

Somebody was, look, get your

dog, and the car just kept going.

566

:

. I kept walking her straight and it's like,

I guess it must've been fatigue, but when,

567

:

when we got, she started walking a little

funny when we even know how you go to

568

:

Roger Gun, that street, the straight park.

569

:

Walking her right there and it was fine.

570

:

. And then I, after she said,

we fine, I got to the trail.

571

:

Told you I got to the tunnel.

572

:

Yep.

573

:

And I kept walking thinking she's

behind me, she's not behind me.

574

:

I turned around like when I get to the

bend, she's just, That's when I did it.

575

:

I figured I knew I felt

like it was over with.

576

:

Detective: Kelly, what kind of

injuries did the dog have then?

577

:

K Pocock: So the, the blunt force trauma

to the head was the cause of death.

578

:

Um, there was some bruising,

uh, around the neck area.

579

:

Um,

580

:

mostly like right in this area.

581

:

And then there was, um, multiple

previous fractured ribs.

582

:

And a little bit of bruising.

583

:

Um, that was post mortem,

um, on the one hip.

584

:

Detective: So, the ribs were

old injuries, is that it?

585

:

K Pocock: Correct.

586

:

Detective: How long did you have the dog?

587

:

Gilleland: Um, I got her

when she was 16 weeks.

588

:

Mm hmm.

589

:

16, 13 to 16 weeks.

590

:

Mm hmm.

591

:

But I'm not there all the time either.

592

:

Mm hmm.

593

:

I'm work, I'm in, I'm there

in the morning when I get off.

594

:

Now that I have a daughter,

I'm there all the time.

595

:

But I'm not there, I'm

not there all the time.

596

:

But.

597

:

Detective: I wonder, do you

know how the dog would, why the

598

:

dog would have old injuries?

599

:

To its ribs, or?

600

:

I'm not there.

601

:

Yeah, I'm not a vet, so

I, I, I can't tell you.

602

:

Gilleland: That's, that's, that's what

I thought when I, when I heard that.

603

:

Cause sometimes I'm like, I'm like,

oh, they're just trying to make

604

:

it worse to get people to talk.

605

:

I'm like, I didn't.

606

:

So that, that's another

thing I was making it worse.

607

:

Like for me, not to say anything,

but cause I'm like the picture that

608

:

was painted, I'm just like, Yeah.

609

:

It looks bad.

610

:

Detective: It does, it does.

611

:

Gilleland: So I just like,

I didn't know what to do.

612

:

Detective: So the injury from the

head, the dog wasn't bleeding.

613

:

It just was shaking.

614

:

Gilleland: It was, she was, she was

shaking like had like foam in her mouth.

615

:

Detective: So then you hit it with a

rock and put it out of this misery.

616

:

Um, and then just carried

it down into the rocks.

617

:

Gilleland: I tried, I tried

to tuck her like, uh, not at

618

:

first, when you, the hill's like

right there, it's all the rocks.

619

:

And there was like a little space

where like I could try to put her

620

:

in like I could just lay her there.

621

:

I put her there and I walked back

up and I just heard it slide down.

622

:

I was like, uh.

623

:

So I tried to go back down and I was

getting frustrated because I was sliding,

624

:

I had sandals on, I was sliding and shit.

625

:

It was just overwhelming.

626

:

The whole moment was

just, I was trying to...

627

:

I was, I was upset about it and I just

kept sliding, she kept sliding, so it

628

:

just looked like I just left it, but

I just didn't want to, people were

629

:

coming and I just like, I just left.

630

:

Detective: Yeah.

631

:

I don't know.

632

:

Okay, Kelly, you have any,

everything you're telling me

633

:

is the truth and we don't have

634

:

Gilleland: nobody, for anybody to just

call and say that I talked to them or told

635

:

them, I never talked to anybody about it.

636

:

I don't want to be in trouble with

the law, I'm in a whole better place

637

:

than I ever was like with my life.

638

:

So I just like this, and then my

daughter's coming, I just didn't want

639

:

to, I wanted to say, Hey, that's my dog.

640

:

But I just, I seen what I saw and how my

friend's treating me now because he's,

641

:

he's, he's upset with me because of the

dog situation and the people just, I

642

:

didn't want my family, my home where I'm

at to be damaged because of what I did.

643

:

So I just, I tried to just.

644

:

Hopefully, hey, hopefully

this will blow over.

645

:

Detective: Keep doing the right thing.

646

:

I just keep

647

:

working.

648

:

You know, your life is

about your daughter.

649

:

Gilleland: But I don't want

my, I don't want my daughter.

650

:

I'm mad that that happened.

651

:

I didn't want that to happen, bro.

652

:

My daughter was for my baby,

so I don't, I don't know.

653

:

When I say I've never, you were

the first people I talked to.

654

:

No one knows that.

655

:

No one can give you that exact

No one can tell you that.

656

:

I didn't talk to anybody about it.

657

:

Detective: Did anybody, was anybody

around when your dog got hit by the car?

658

:

Gilleland: Nobody.

659

:

I was, I just turned around for a second.

660

:

It was me not paying attention

because she's friendly.

661

:

That's the only problem I have.

662

:

Detective: What time was this?

663

:

Gilleland: She's, this is during the day.

664

:

I want to say like, uh, Not evening,

but 4 or 5 maybe, 4 or 5 evening.

665

:

I was just winding down.

666

:

I was sitting in the car.

667

:

Detective: On the, let's see, the 16th?

668

:

Gilleland: I don't, I don't remember,

really remember what exactly happened.

669

:

K Pocock: So where she got hit, you're

talking about where the state street

670

:

goes like this and the road goes that way

671

:

Gilleland: Yeah, towards like,

uh, in the area where that, uh,

672

:

crossing the bars is in the area.

673

:

K Pocock: The Mexican bar

right there on the corner?

674

:

Gilleland: Yeah, where

that, those, the older.

675

:

people stay at the apartments.

676

:

Yeah.

677

:

Yeah, it was.

678

:

It was in that area?

679

:

Mm-hmm.

680

:

.

K Pocock: So on that side of State Street or side?

681

:

Gilleland: The side.

682

:

The other side.

683

:

Yeah.

684

:

Okay.

685

:

K Pocock: That's a bad intersection.

686

:

Yeah.

687

:

Gilleland: I don't know, bro.

688

:

And it was just, I took her,

I was walking her, she left.

689

:

She was fine.

690

:

And then I went to keep watch,

because I always take her on a chair.

691

:

I take them both.

692

:

I can't walk him without a leash,

but she can go without a leash.

693

:

But I'm trying to train her to

walk with me, so I can't take them

694

:

both, because they'll, they'll play

with each other the whole time,

695

:

you know they not disciplined.

696

:

DrG: Listening to the interview,

first he said that somebody

697

:

hit the dog on the head.

698

:

Right.

699

:

And then, right?

700

:

And then it just makes it sound like,

oh, random person came over and just

701

:

beat the dog on the head for no reason.

702

:

And then the investigator says,

so like, it was hit by a car?

703

:

And he's like, yeah, yeah, That's it.

704

:

It was hit by a car.

705

:

So at that point, to me, I was like, okay,

clearly this dog was not hit by a car.

706

:

When I listened to that, I'm trying

to think of what he's saying.

707

:

And in contrast with what, like, the

necropsy report is showing to see what

708

:

kind of, what kind of things, right?

709

:

And when we see a dog that

has been hit by a car, we are

710

:

looking for certain injuries.

711

:

We're looking for fractures.

712

:

We're looking for scrapes.

713

:

You know, they, they get pushed,

they get trashed, they get bruised,

714

:

like their nails get frayed.

715

:

They're going to have

different types of fractures.

716

:

All sorts of things that

this dog did not have.

717

:

So, as you mentioned, there is no

evidence that this dog was hit by a car.

718

:

The other thing that was interesting

was that first he was with the dog when

719

:

it was hit on the head, but then he

was talking to somebody, and then that

720

:

person told him, Hey, your dog is about

to get hit, and then the dog got hit.

721

:

But at another part, somebody asks him,

So, did anybody else see this happen?

722

:

And he says, No, I was by myself.

723

:

Well, which is it?

724

:

You're by yourself or

you're talking to somebody.

725

:

Somebody saw it or somebody didn't see it.

726

:

You saw it or you didn't see it.

727

:

So, you know, he, he's just trying to,

to create a narrative based on what he

728

:

thinks you guys want to hear, right?

729

:

Like he figures you guys

have a story in your mind.

730

:

So he's going to agree with that

story so that then the end he can go

731

:

home and everybody forgets about it.

732

:

Then he starts saying about,

well, the dog got hit in the head.

733

:

by a car, which we would think it's

going to be a really bad injury.

734

:

But the dog was fine.

735

:

The dog was perfectly fine.

736

:

And it was walking behind

him off leash because he had

737

:

trained her to go off leash.

738

:

And then all of a sudden he stops and he

looks back and he doesn't see the dog.

739

:

So,

740

:

Kelly Pocock: That was after

walking like over a half a mile,

741

:

they walked another half a mile

before he said, I turned around and

742

:

she wasn't following me anymore.

743

:

So I'm like, that's that's

that doesn't make any sense.

744

:

Right?

745

:

Yeah,

746

:

DrG: because you're, you're going to

think that if you're walking your dog,

747

:

especially I mean not to pick on pit

bulls because I like pit bulls, but

748

:

you're walking your pit bull off leash

and you're not paying attention to where

749

:

it's at, like, you know, it's a dog

that you have to, to keep under control.

750

:

And definitely you want to

keep at least eyes on it.

751

:

So he's saying how the dog was

just, you know, disappeared and

752

:

he didn't notice it for a while.

753

:

And then all of a sudden he goes

back and then this dog that was

754

:

fine a little bit ago now is

shaking and laying on the ground and

755

:

Kelly Pocock: foam coming from the mouth.

756

:

DrG: Yeah, foam coming from the mouth.

757

:

Um, and, you know, clearly

it was, it was suffering.

758

:

So he had to do something.

759

:

And anybody that has had an animal

that's injured, the first thing that we

760

:

think is, Oh my God, my dog's injured.

761

:

I need to take it to the vet.

762

:

I need to take it to the emergency room.

763

:

You know, I need to call for help.

764

:

Even call a family member to

say, Hey, what, what should I do?

765

:

No, this dude thinks that the best

thing to do is to grab a rock and kill

766

:

the dog to put it out of its misery.

767

:

These dogs, their skulls are really hard.

768

:

Like, the amount of force that you need to

hit a dog on the head, to crack the skull,

769

:

and get into the brain, that's brutal.

770

:

That's not just, you know, I, I think

that somebody that really cares about

771

:

an animal would hesitate and would

not be able to hit a dog that hard.

772

:

As hard as this person hit this dog.

773

:

Right.

774

:

Like, this is definitely somebody

that is being aggressive, somebody

775

:

that's being violent, somebody

that is angry at this dog.

776

:

And, and at one point during his

interview, he mentions the fact

777

:

that the dog chewed on something.

778

:

So he picked it up and took it for a walk.

779

:

So, telling us, not telling us,

he basically gave us the reason.

780

:

It sounds like this dog chewed something,

he got mad, and he took it out.

781

:

Kelly Pocock: He kind of made

himself sound like the savior.

782

:

And when he was saying that, like, well,

he chewed up, she chewed up one of the

783

:

baby toys and everybody was mad at her.

784

:

So I just wanted to get

her out of the house.

785

:

So I took her for a walk.

786

:

So he kind of tried to make himself like

he was the only person that understood

787

:

this dog and he had to get away from

everybody else because they were upset

788

:

with the dog and like going back to

the foaming at the mouth, the minute he

789

:

made that comment, like I've watched and

you've probably seen more so than I, but

790

:

I've seen numerous dogs have seizures.

791

:

They don't, you don't normally see

like actual foaming of the mouth.

792

:

That's something you heard somewhere and

you think it's credible in this situation.

793

:

That is, that is not something that

you would normally, you might see

794

:

drooling, but you're not going to see

actual foam, foaming at the mouth.

795

:

So that was kind of like the,

Oh yeah, that never happened.

796

:

That was my, my rock solid.

797

:

And it's in my gut now that that

isn't the dog did not have a seizure.

798

:

The dog was not hit by a car at that

point when he's, he made that comment.

799

:

Like I was convinced that

that part never happened.

800

:

DrG: Yeah, and then he's like saying

about, well, why didn't you call for help?

801

:

Why didn't you call the police?

802

:

Well, because he has a bad history with

the police, and we're going to talk

803

:

about that, talk about that in a second.

804

:

But, you know, he, he has an excuse for

everything, trying to make it sound like

805

:

the decision that he made was a kind of

spur of the moment decision, but something

806

:

that he had to make, do, because the,

the words that he used really bugged me.

807

:

He said, The dog had sentimental

value and there was nothing there.

808

:

So when we talk about sentimental

value, what do we think about?

809

:

We think about objects, right?

810

:

Like I don't talk about my, my family

members as having sentimental value.

811

:

Like I love my family members.

812

:

Uh, my pets, I love my pets.

813

:

They don't have sentimental value.

814

:

Like I am attached,

emotionally attached to them.

815

:

We have sentimental value against objects.

816

:

Like a picture has sentimental value.

817

:

So it was clear that he was trying to

sound like he cared about this dog.

818

:

He was trying to sound emotional

about this dog, but he had

819

:

no emotion for this dog.

820

:

And the best that he could come

up with was to use the word

821

:

sentimental value, which is a

measurement of an object, right?

822

:

So all of those things from this

interrogation, it just shows how he

823

:

just changes the words, even when,

when he talks about the rock, he says,

824

:

yeah, I grabbed the thing and hit it.

825

:

And then the investigator

says like the rock, he's like,

826

:

yeah, yeah, yeah, the rock.

827

:

So he's, he's painting a story as

he's going along based on what he

828

:

feels that, that people want to hear.

829

:

So listening to that, to that interview

was very enlightening because it

830

:

really gave me, uh, an insight on

what You know, kind of what was likely

831

:

what happened in this case and the

fact that what this guy was saying

832

:

was not, you know, was not true.

833

:

But then also my part in the

investigation was to see if the crime

834

:

scene matched his story because maybe

I look at the crime scene and it does

835

:

match his story and then, you know,

he's just bad at telling his story.

836

:

So while you were interviewing him,

there was, there was something that was

837

:

noticeable to you the way that he spoke

that gave you an idea of if he was telling

838

:

the truth or if he was not being truthful.

839

:

So can you describe that a bit?

840

:

Kelly Pocock: He was very like the

standard like eye contact and you like if

841

:

his and then if he told when we would get

to the point he's like, yes, I did it.

842

:

It's my dog.

843

:

We went for this walk.

844

:

And he kind of like he's sitting up.

845

:

He's sitting straight erect.

846

:

Um, good posture.

847

:

He's looking at us.

848

:

He's putting his hands down like in

adamant that this is what happened.

849

:

Until you get to the point where he

tells you that the dog was hit by a

850

:

car, the shoulders come forward, the

chest concaves, he's not looking at us

851

:

anymore, his arms are now on his lap,

his hands are on his lap, there's no,

852

:

like I speak with my hands quite a bit,

but like he had stopped doing that.

853

:

His hands went into his

lap just for that segment.

854

:

And I noticed it immediately.

855

:

But then the minute we got past the

hit by a car, he came back erect.

856

:

He was not concave.

857

:

His shoulders were back.

858

:

He was adamant.

859

:

He was speaking with his hands again.

860

:

And I went noted, like that was huge.

861

:

So that was like my first clue.

862

:

Cause initially it's kind of like.

863

:

Oh, well, I mean, you probably could have

found a more humane way to end the dog's

864

:

suffering than to make it suffer further.

865

:

But if it truly got hit by

a car, I can understand if

866

:

you're backed into the corner.

867

:

Like, we can try, we can try,

we have to try really hard,

868

:

but we can try to get there.

869

:

We can try to get to that mentality where

I have to make my dog stop suffering.

870

:

I have to end this right now.

871

:

But immediately with his body posture,

I never, because it was the very initial

872

:

conversation that we had with him.

873

:

I never believed the dog ever got hit by a

car because of the way his posture changed

874

:

during us speaking to him in that point.

875

:

It was so different.

876

:

It was almost like speaking

to two different people.

877

:

The way he was before and after

and the way he was during talking

878

:

about the dog getting hit by a car.

879

:

DrG: So when he was saying

things that were likely truthful,

880

:

he was up and confident.

881

:

Yes.

882

:

And then when he was saying things

that he was not confident about,

883

:

he was showing it with his body.

884

:

Kelly Pocock: Yep.

885

:

There was submission, the shoulders

forward, like protecting the core.

886

:

Yeah.

887

:

It was, it was textbook.

888

:

I mean, along with the no eye contact,

we lost eye contact during that bit, like

889

:

that textbook, he's lying thing that you

get, but there was a drastic change in

890

:

his body language just during that part.

891

:

Um, and the investigator, who obviously

has way more experience than I do,

892

:

even remarked on that once he left

the room, you know, and we were back

893

:

in the vehicle leaving that facility,

the investigator even remarked on

894

:

that, that's the only part of the

story that I'm not 100 percent on.

895

:

I think he's telling the

truth about the rest.

896

:

And I said, there's no way

he's telling the truth about

897

:

the dog getting hit by a car.

898

:

Like, I noticed that there

was a huge difference.

899

:

And he said, you noticed that?

900

:

And I said, yeah, yeah, I did.

901

:

DrG: We mentioned about the fact that he

had bad run ins with the police and that

902

:

is an understatement to say the least.

903

:

So, uh, what are the, what

are these runnings that he

904

:

had with the police before?

905

:

Kelly Pocock: So he had previously, um,

had felony aggravated assault charges

906

:

placed against him and convicted of them.

907

:

Um, he did do prison time.

908

:

I don't recall the amount of

time he actually did in prison.

909

:

Seven years.

910

:

Seven, yeah.

911

:

So he, it was, it was quite extensive.

912

:

Um, he does not, he doesn't,

like, he really does not want

913

:

to speak with law enforcement.

914

:

When we did the interview with him, we

kind of went to his work and asked his

915

:

boss to bring him in to speak with us.

916

:

So we kind of cornered him, um,

but we also knew, like, that

917

:

would be the only way that he was

actually going to speak with us.

918

:

So, um, while I do believe, like, he

was going to work every day, he was

919

:

trying to, like, do better things

with his life, I don't think that

920

:

that violent streak went out of him.

921

:

I think it just got shifted to

different areas of his life.

922

:

So he was, you know, he's

got, he's got a new family.

923

:

He's trying to make sure he goes

to work every single day and great.

924

:

That's awesome.

925

:

But we still have this violence

taking place in your life.

926

:

It's just maybe not at this point

towards humans because you've

927

:

already been in trouble for that.

928

:

DrG: And I think that that's one of the,

that's one of the big issues that, that

929

:

myself and a, and a lot of people that

have with, with the way that the, uh,

930

:

prison system is, is that this individual

is kind of warehoused for seven years,

931

:

for a period of time to pay for a crime

that he committed, which, yes, he needs

932

:

to serve time for the crime that he

committed, but there needs to be some

933

:

form of rehabilitation because if not,

we're just in jail for seven years.

934

:

Um, you know, figuring out how to get

stronger and how to, how to not get caught

935

:

instead of actually working on these

clear anger management type issues that

936

:

he has because if he, you know, he went

to prison for assault and then now here

937

:

he is, he's assaulting a dog, clearly

he has a, a difficult way of expressing

938

:

his anger in a very negative way.

939

:

So, yeah, you know, that, that

basically, again, as part of the link,

940

:

people that are, that are going to

commit abusive actions against humans

941

:

are likely to commit abusive actions

against animals and vice versa.

942

:

So, identifying these, these cases of

animal cruelty and animal abuse are very

943

:

important in protecting animals, but then

also protecting community in general.

944

:

Kelly Pocock: And we got kind of feedback

on all of these other things, and that's

945

:

when we contacted the prosecutor's office,

and was like, I think that we definitely

946

:

have enough to do felony animal cruelty

charges, and we want to move forward

947

:

with this, Um, let's go into the next

phase of getting the arrest warrant.

948

:

I think his, the arrest

warrant went out on a Tuesday.

949

:

He was arrested on Friday,

arraigned on a Monday.

950

:

So he did spend those two

days in jail over the weekend.

951

:

Um, and then we go through the

long process of the court hearings.

952

:

Which this one actually moved along

quite quickly compared to some of them.

953

:

I've been involved in.

954

:

DrG: She went to the Ohio State

University College of Veterinary

955

:

Medicine to have the necropsy done.

956

:

by a, by a pathologist and from, from

what they found, I'm going to, uh, go

957

:

over their comments and interpretations.

958

:

So she had multiple fractures to the

frontal bone that, uh, that were focal.

959

:

So basically, uh, small holes that

were formed on the top of the head.

960

:

And then the other thing that

they found was a fracture of her

961

:

jaw on both sides of her jaw.

962

:

And this is going to be important

by the time we're looking at

963

:

the blood spatter evidence.

964

:

So, the, the interpretation from the

pathologist was that the lesions of the

965

:

bones and soft tissues of the head and

face are consistent with blunt force

966

:

trauma and are the likely cause of death.

967

:

The primary lesion is a large comminuted

fracture of the frontal bone with

968

:

extensive bleeding into the surrounding

soft tissues, subdural space and brain.

969

:

And there are several areas of

subcutaneous hemorrhage and edema

970

:

in the prescapular and pelvic

regions, which may be consistent

971

:

with antemortem soft tissue injury.

972

:

She also had multiple nodules on

the ribs that are consistent with

973

:

healing bone from previous fractures.

974

:

That's also something that's super

important, because that tells us

975

:

that this is not the first time that

this dog has been victim of violence.

976

:

Right, like this tells us that this

dog likely has been kicked, punched,

977

:

hit in some way or another in the

chest, and she had These fractures

978

:

on both sides, so most likely she

had been attacked multiple times.

979

:

Going back to the, to the blood spatter.

980

:

So, you know, it, the, the idea

of blood spatter is not a perfect

981

:

science and you can't always say

what happened or what didn't happen.

982

:

You sometimes can get an idea of

things that likely happen, where the

983

:

blood's coming from, how many strikes

something has received and, and such.

984

:

This is a case where, to me, the

blood spatter said so much, right?

985

:

So looking at, at all of that blood

spatter evidence, all those pictures

986

:

that you sent me, it literally painted

a picture, and it was a really horrific

987

:

picture because we could see Two

large, um, streaks of blood that were

988

:

consistent with the two holes that

were on top of the head of the dog.

989

:

So we know that, yes, this dog was

hit at least twice in the head.

990

:

Cause the first time that you

hit something, you don't really

991

:

create a spatter from it, right?

992

:

You have to hit blood to splash blood.

993

:

So we know that there was at least

twice that, or at least three times

994

:

that he, that this dog was hit in

the head, but the one thing that

995

:

painted the picture is the fact that

there's a puddle of blood, um, running on

996

:

the ground, but then there is spatter that

is consisting with spitting out blood,

997

:

like, high velocity from the ground.

998

:

And we can say that getting hit

in the head was the, was brutal.

999

:

The most brutal part of this is that

the blood evidence shows that after

:

00:47:00,737 --> 00:47:03,397

he hit this dog, and this dog is

:

00:47:03,782 --> 00:47:09,302

laying on the ground, probably agonal,

that he stomped on the head of this dog,

:

00:47:09,312 --> 00:47:14,162

on the face of this dog, hard enough that

he broke the jaw of the dog on both sides.

:

00:47:14,552 --> 00:47:17,122

And that's where that blood

spatter is coming out.

:

00:47:17,662 --> 00:47:22,412

And then what tells us further that

this is what happens is that there

:

00:47:22,412 --> 00:47:28,372

are no large blood pools anywhere,

but close to where the blood is, there

:

00:47:28,372 --> 00:47:31,242

is one single footprint in blood.

:

00:47:32,112 --> 00:47:35,842

And the only way that that really

could have come about is from him

:

00:47:35,842 --> 00:47:40,332

putting his foot on something that

was covered with blood, which,

:

00:47:40,342 --> 00:47:44,422

based on everything that was found,

the dog's head was covered in blood.

:

00:47:44,942 --> 00:47:50,512

So it again shows that he stepped on

this dog's face as hard as he could

:

00:47:50,652 --> 00:47:55,452

hard enough to break the jaw of a pit

bull, I mean, a very powerful jaw.

:

00:47:56,102 --> 00:48:00,862

And then he put his foot down and

left that single footprint that

:

00:48:00,862 --> 00:48:03,442

tells us the story of what happened.

:

00:48:04,062 --> 00:48:07,732

Then we can follow the blood

trail, the two blood trails from

:

00:48:07,742 --> 00:48:09,652

the two holes on the, on the head.

:

00:48:10,272 --> 00:48:14,192

And it's clear that he threw

this dog onto the rocks.

:

00:48:14,822 --> 00:48:18,512

And at that point, where the

dog was laying, the heart

:

00:48:18,532 --> 00:48:19,742

must have still been beating.

:

00:48:19,892 --> 00:48:23,492

Because there was a large

amount of blood in that area.

:

00:48:24,002 --> 00:48:30,217

And clearly it was, and I think he even

makes, makes mention of it, that Well, he

:

00:48:30,217 --> 00:48:35,367

says that the dog fell, like it slipped

as he was trying to place it further down.

:

00:48:36,017 --> 00:48:39,777

The evidence looks more like he

threw the dog and it just didn't land

:

00:48:39,777 --> 00:48:42,017

far enough to be out of eyesight.

:

00:48:42,687 --> 00:48:47,707

So, he's doing all of this to a dog that

we're hoping is unconscious at this point,

:

00:48:47,747 --> 00:48:52,957

that it doesn't feel anything, but a dog

who's heart was and then he picks up the

:

00:48:52,957 --> 00:48:58,447

dog and sends it further down into the

into the rocks Basically to try to keep it

:

00:48:58,447 --> 00:49:02,327

from people seeing and it almost worked if

it wasn't for all the blood pooling that

:

00:49:02,327 --> 00:49:07,287

he did, like you said like it was hard to

see the dog So if that all of that blood

:

00:49:07,287 --> 00:49:11,667

evidence had not been there Who knows how

long it would have been before somebody

:

00:49:11,667 --> 00:49:15,557

would have noticed that the dog was was

there You know days weeks could have

:

00:49:15,557 --> 00:49:19,602

passed and then a lot of this evidence

could have been, could have been damaged.

:

00:49:20,782 --> 00:49:23,522

So,, he gets picked up on his warrant.

:

00:49:24,107 --> 00:49:26,597

And then he goes to the arraignment.

:

00:49:27,304 --> 00:49:29,254

Judge: It appears in court in orange.

:

00:49:29,804 --> 00:49:30,114

Mr.

:

00:49:30,114 --> 00:49:32,334

Gilleland, is English

your native language?

:

00:49:32,394 --> 00:49:32,814

Gilleland: Yes.

:

00:49:32,854 --> 00:49:34,154

Judge: You read and write

the English language?

:

00:49:34,154 --> 00:49:34,454

Gilleland: Yes.

:

00:49:34,854 --> 00:49:37,164

Judge: Have you ever been

declared incompetent by a court?

:

00:49:37,234 --> 00:49:37,504

Gilleland: No.

:

00:49:37,854 --> 00:49:40,024

Judge: Have you had any recent

injuries to your head or your body?

:

00:49:40,094 --> 00:49:40,424

Gilleland: No.

:

00:49:41,594 --> 00:49:42,514

Judge: You're in orange.

:

00:49:42,534 --> 00:49:43,584

How long have you been in jail?

:

00:49:44,024 --> 00:49:44,654

Gilleland: Since Friday.

:

00:49:45,394 --> 00:49:45,824

Judge: Okay.

:

00:49:45,924 --> 00:49:48,634

So over the weekend, three days?

:

00:49:48,684 --> 00:49:53,914

So you're aware, you have, from the time

that you get a copy, you get served a copy

:

00:49:53,914 --> 00:49:58,174

of that, you have 24 hours until you have

to appear in court for your arraignment.

:

00:49:58,434 --> 00:49:59,954

We can come back tomorrow.

:

00:50:01,039 --> 00:50:05,139

945 so that you have that 24

hour notice or we can continue

:

00:50:05,139 --> 00:50:06,129

today with your arraignment.

:

00:50:06,189 --> 00:50:06,839

That's up to you.

:

00:50:06,969 --> 00:50:07,239

Gilleland: Continue.

:

00:50:07,959 --> 00:50:10,909

Judge: The arraignment will continue

based on the waiver of any defects

:

00:50:10,909 --> 00:50:14,639

in service by the defendant and

we now have service complete.

:

00:50:15,384 --> 00:50:20,204

By indictment, a file stamped October 6th,

:

:

00:50:20,204 --> 00:50:21,634

Leshawn Gilleland.

:

00:50:21,974 --> 00:50:24,209

Count 1, the jurors of the defendant,

jury of the State of Ohio, defendant

:

00:50:24,209 --> 00:50:26,604

for the body of Sandusky County on the

rose, and named by the authority of the

:

00:50:26,604 --> 00:50:30,374

State of Ohio, divinely present, Leshawn

Gilleland owner by the 16th day of

:

00:50:30,374 --> 00:50:34,924

July,:

a force that did not only cause serious

:

00:50:34,964 --> 00:50:36,604

physical harm to a companion animal.

:

00:50:36,924 --> 00:50:40,134

To wit, defendant did not only cause

serious physical harm to an American

:

00:50:40,134 --> 00:50:44,529

Pit Bull, dog resulting in the death

of the animal in violation of a higher

:

00:50:44,529 --> 00:50:51,569

violence code:

:

00:50:51,819 --> 00:50:55,439

Cruelty to companion animals,

a felony of the fifth degree.

:

00:50:55,439 --> 00:50:59,899

Penalty, a term of imprisonment of 6

to 12 months and up to a 2, 500 fine.

:

00:51:00,189 --> 00:51:02,309

Do you understand the single

count of the indictment, Mr.

:

00:51:02,309 --> 00:51:02,819

Gilliland?

:

00:51:02,839 --> 00:51:03,249

Gilleland: Yes.

:

00:51:04,419 --> 00:51:05,409

Judge: Court order not guilty.

:

00:51:05,439 --> 00:51:06,779

Please assign the matter for trial.

:

00:51:06,779 --> 00:51:08,259

Bound to be set by separate entry.

:

00:51:08,259 --> 00:51:09,909

What are you going to do

about a lawyer for this, Mr.

:

00:51:09,909 --> 00:51:10,439

Gilleland?

:

00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:15,180

Gilleland: Um, lawyer, I already

admitted there's no point of, I already

:

00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:16,460

told her what happened, but I did it.

:

00:51:16,460 --> 00:51:18,960

I'm trying to figure out what

the, that's why I'm confused.

:

00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:21,600

Like, what do I need to, you know,

I already said I'm already guilty.

:

00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:24,050

I already said I did it

and why I'm confused.

:

00:51:24,070 --> 00:51:25,450

I'm just confused by the whole thing.

:

00:51:25,550 --> 00:51:25,860

Judge: Okay.

:

00:51:26,120 --> 00:51:29,770

And you've, you've been served

with a felony indictment and

:

00:51:29,770 --> 00:51:31,410

you are entitled to counsel.

:

00:51:31,510 --> 00:51:34,320

My question to you is what are

you going to do about an attorney?

:

00:51:34,380 --> 00:51:34,790

Gilleland: I don't want one.

:

00:51:35,330 --> 00:51:36,390

It's going to be over with bro.

:

00:51:37,565 --> 00:51:38,575

Judge: Okay, I'm not your bro.

:

00:51:38,595 --> 00:51:40,205

Don't address me as such.

:

00:51:40,585 --> 00:51:42,875

But you, you're waiving counsel?

:

00:51:43,145 --> 00:51:43,985

Gilleland: For what?

:

00:51:44,185 --> 00:51:45,075

I'm already guilty.

:

00:51:45,095 --> 00:51:46,235

I've already admitted to it.

:

00:51:46,305 --> 00:51:47,385

There's nothing I don't understand.

:

00:51:47,385 --> 00:51:48,455

I don't understand none of this.

:

00:51:48,605 --> 00:51:49,355

Judge: Mr.

:

00:51:49,865 --> 00:51:52,870

Gilleland, I'm going to give

you this one advisement.

:

00:51:52,940 --> 00:51:54,900

I'm going to call it a piece of advice.

:

00:51:55,230 --> 00:51:58,870

I'm not sure what your attitude

is or why you are presenting

:

00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:00,770

in this manner in my courtroom.

:

00:52:01,455 --> 00:52:03,795

Kelly Pocock: So at the

arraignment, the judge released

:

00:52:03,795 --> 00:52:04,965

him on his own recognizance.

:

00:52:05,765 --> 00:52:11,175

he gave him like strict alcohol drug

free, stay, obviously stay in this area.

:

00:52:11,175 --> 00:52:12,105

Don't take off.

:

00:52:12,585 --> 00:52:16,895

We did discuss, that there was another dog

in the home that he was currently living

:

00:52:16,895 --> 00:52:23,735

in They were not willing to remove that

dog because that dog did not technically

:

00:52:23,735 --> 00:52:27,025

belong to him, although he said that he

was the only one that could handle it.

:

00:52:27,850 --> 00:52:32,023

They could not take the dog away

from the actual owner of the dog.

:

00:52:32,023 --> 00:52:33,253

So the dog was allowed to stay.

:

00:52:33,253 --> 00:52:35,693

He just was required to be supervised.

:

00:52:35,693 --> 00:52:37,393

He was never allowed to

be alone with the dog.

:

00:52:38,353 --> 00:52:44,163

So those were really like the, he ended

up, um, I think he tested positive for

:

00:52:44,163 --> 00:52:49,353

marijuana at one of the check ins with

his probation officer and they gave him

:

00:52:49,723 --> 00:52:54,143

like another warning, we don't want to see

this again, and I think after that, all of

:

00:52:54,143 --> 00:52:57,293

his, all of his drug testing was negative.

:

00:52:57,943 --> 00:53:03,253

Um, but the, the released on his

own recognizance, and then just

:

00:53:03,253 --> 00:53:07,953

those, those simple few things is

what happened at the arraignment.

:

00:53:08,686 --> 00:53:13,346

DrG: And he, from the get go, when he got

there, he immediately said, I'm guilty.

:

00:53:13,346 --> 00:53:13,886

I did it.

:

00:53:13,906 --> 00:53:14,856

Let's get this on.

:

00:53:15,206 --> 00:53:19,556

Kelly Pocock: He was, he was very upset

the minute he saw me, because there

:

00:53:19,556 --> 00:53:24,656

was a special family thing that had

happened that weekend and he missed it.

:

00:53:25,156 --> 00:53:28,976

So he, he looked right at

me, told me he would never

:

00:53:28,976 --> 00:53:30,726

forgive me that he missed that.

:

00:53:31,186 --> 00:53:32,616

Um, okay.

:

00:53:33,071 --> 00:53:36,621

But when, like, they come out, like,

the arraignment is not the time where

:

00:53:36,621 --> 00:53:40,631

you, you know, it's the time where

you give your plea, it's not the

:

00:53:40,631 --> 00:53:42,981

time where you confess your sins.

:

00:53:43,471 --> 00:53:49,241

And he instantly, um, with kind of

very, like, I don't want to say, like,

:

00:53:49,271 --> 00:53:53,611

attitude y, like, um, the court had

to remind him to choose his words

:

00:53:53,621 --> 00:53:56,001

wisely in how he addressed the court.

:

00:53:56,391 --> 00:54:03,051

The court had to remind him to, um,

kind of calm down and follow the rules.

:

00:54:03,481 --> 00:54:04,571

But, it was.

:

00:54:05,276 --> 00:54:05,766

I did it.

:

00:54:05,766 --> 00:54:07,116

I already told her I did it, bro.

:

00:54:07,116 --> 00:54:08,186

I don't know why I'm here.

:

00:54:08,206 --> 00:54:09,316

I already told her I did it.

:

00:54:09,896 --> 00:54:12,616

So, you know, that's when the

judge, like, the judge said,

:

00:54:12,616 --> 00:54:13,856

you will not refer to the court.

:

00:54:13,866 --> 00:54:15,306

You will not refer to the judge as bro.

:

00:54:15,306 --> 00:54:15,906

You will not.

:

00:54:16,506 --> 00:54:19,036

But I truly believe he didn't understand.

:

00:54:19,046 --> 00:54:23,156

Like, he, he really thought that, well,

I gave them the excuse that I ended the

:

00:54:23,156 --> 00:54:27,836

dog's life for its own good, um, because

it was suffering and I admitted to it.

:

00:54:27,846 --> 00:54:29,026

So why am I here?

:

00:54:29,716 --> 00:54:32,306

So there was kind of like a

disconnect there for him, like

:

00:54:32,306 --> 00:54:36,176

not realizing that what you did is

truly illegal, regardless of why.

:

00:54:36,845 --> 00:54:40,505

But he, yeah, he can, he was

confessing all of his sins.

:

00:54:40,505 --> 00:54:42,645

He was highly upset at

that first arraignment.

:

00:54:43,095 --> 00:54:47,925

Um, he did calm down in the following

court proceedings that we were, had

:

00:54:47,925 --> 00:54:51,745

scheduled, but that, that initial

court hearing, he was, he was highly

:

00:54:51,745 --> 00:54:57,665

upset, irritated, um, you know, kind

of that, that slang terms that he was

:

00:54:57,665 --> 00:54:59,845

using in the agitated voice and stuff.

:

00:54:59,845 --> 00:55:02,045

And, you know, the judge

had to remind him like.

:

00:55:02,375 --> 00:55:03,275

You need to sit down.

:

00:55:03,275 --> 00:55:04,185

You need to calm down.

:

00:55:04,185 --> 00:55:05,815

You don't address the

court in that manner.

:

00:55:06,515 --> 00:55:08,425

Um, so, I mean, it was.

:

00:55:09,116 --> 00:55:13,806

I guess I had never personally seen

such disregard, disregard for a court.

:

00:55:13,836 --> 00:55:17,716

I'm sure other courts see it every single

day, but I had never personally seen that.

:

00:55:17,716 --> 00:55:20,566

So I was kind of taken

aback by that behavior.

:

00:55:21,096 --> 00:55:24,076

Um, but then, you know, it

just, it goes on to pre trial,

:

00:55:24,076 --> 00:55:25,656

pre trial and all of that.

:

00:55:26,366 --> 00:55:29,566

DrG: And, and part of it may be just

the fact that he didn't realize that

:

00:55:29,606 --> 00:55:33,956

at that point, you have put together

a picture of what actually happened.

:

00:55:34,466 --> 00:55:38,536

And he's thinking, you know, well,

I'm here because I killed my dog.

:

00:55:38,546 --> 00:55:41,086

Well, I killed my dog to

put it out of its misery.

:

00:55:41,116 --> 00:55:44,236

And he doesn't understand, no, you're

here because you brutally murder

:

00:55:44,236 --> 00:55:46,276

your dog and we know what you did.

:

00:55:47,046 --> 00:55:50,506

So he, he goes through his arraignment.

:

00:55:50,566 --> 00:55:56,416

He, um, he says that he did it, but

then he actually has his pretrial date

:

00:55:56,476 --> 00:55:59,116

in which he came in and he pled guilty.

:

00:55:59,756 --> 00:55:59,906

Okay.

:

00:55:59,911 --> 00:56:03,896

Right to criminal, animal cruelty,

uh, which is a felony under

:

00:56:03,896 --> 00:56:07,316

959.131 of the Ohio revised code.

:

00:56:07,986 --> 00:56:12,416

So something kind of cool happen

and it's that they asked for,

:

00:56:12,606 --> 00:56:14,756

for a victim impact statement.

:

00:56:15,416 --> 00:56:20,281

Kelly Pocock: Well, I was, I was actually

kind of surprised because that has

:

00:56:20,281 --> 00:56:22,451

never ever been requested of us before.

:

00:56:22,451 --> 00:56:26,991

and not ever anywhere else that I've

heard of, like they always, dogs are

:

00:56:26,991 --> 00:56:28,921

considered property in the state of Ohio.

:

00:56:28,921 --> 00:56:31,571

So how can property be a victim?

:

00:56:31,921 --> 00:56:34,301

Property can be damaged,

but it can't be a victim.

:

00:56:34,301 --> 00:56:39,261

So I was kind of like, they want a victim

impact statement on behalf of the dog?

:

00:56:39,731 --> 00:56:42,881

And the prosecutor was

like, yes, can you get that?

:

00:56:42,881 --> 00:56:46,261

And I was like, yeah, I know exactly

who to ask to write that because she

:

00:56:46,261 --> 00:56:52,031

would be able to speak from every aspect

and cover every, every part of what we

:

00:56:52,051 --> 00:56:56,211

would need to be covered to make sure

that it is the absolute best that we,

:

00:56:56,341 --> 00:57:00,631

you know, we can submit to the court,

especially, you know, we might be setting

:

00:57:00,631 --> 00:57:05,811

precedence on victim impact statements

being part of these animal cruelty

:

00:57:05,811 --> 00:57:07,501

cases, especially the felony ones.

:

00:57:08,061 --> 00:57:14,011

So, I was surprised, but I was, I was

excited about having that opportunity.

:

00:57:14,753 --> 00:57:18,213

DrG: Yeah, when you asked me to, to

help write this victim impact statement,

:

00:57:18,233 --> 00:57:23,773

I was really excited because I even

started doing searches just to get an

:

00:57:23,773 --> 00:57:27,753

idea of how to write a victim impact

statement on behalf of an animal.

:

00:57:27,753 --> 00:57:28,703

And there's not that many.

:

00:57:29,308 --> 00:57:31,108

Because as you mentioned,

animals are property.

:

00:57:31,118 --> 00:57:32,318

Property is not a victim.

:

00:57:32,578 --> 00:57:37,468

But this is really nice because

we are acknowledging that an

:

00:57:37,478 --> 00:57:39,648

animal can be a victim of a crime.

:

00:57:39,988 --> 00:57:43,568

And even though this dog is dead,

this dog still deserves a voice.

:

00:57:44,268 --> 00:57:50,148

So the, uh, the victim impact

statement, the other, the other part

:

00:57:50,148 --> 00:57:56,068

of it that I was pleased to write

this, was the fact that because he

:

00:57:56,068 --> 00:57:58,488

pled guilty and there was no trial,

:

00:57:58,888 --> 00:58:04,598

I didn't have an opportunity

to be on the stand and explain

:

00:58:04,708 --> 00:58:06,218

what happened to this dog.

:

00:58:06,508 --> 00:58:08,448

What, what this dog went through.

:

00:58:08,558 --> 00:58:12,278

What was the horror that, that

this person did to this animal.

:

00:58:12,768 --> 00:58:15,478

So through this victim impact

statement, I got a second

:

00:58:15,478 --> 00:58:17,523

opportunity to tell the dog's story.

:

00:58:18,073 --> 00:58:22,473

I called in some attorney friends

and I reached out to the Animal Legal

:

00:58:22,473 --> 00:58:27,833

Defense Fund and to David Rosengard,

who is brilliant at, at this kind of

:

00:58:27,843 --> 00:58:30,058

stuff, and I said, can you help me

:

00:58:30,228 --> 00:58:32,878

do the best that I can

to speak for this dog.

:

00:58:33,548 --> 00:58:36,208

And he helped me create this statement.

:

00:58:37,518 --> 00:58:39,798

th,:

:

00:58:39,918 --> 00:58:41,708

Reference Leshawn Gilleland.

:

00:58:42,258 --> 00:58:44,718

Case 23 CR 8 9 2.

:

00:58:45,288 --> 00:58:46,728

Victim Impact Statement.

:

00:58:47,328 --> 00:58:49,798

To the honorable judge, Jon M Ickes.

:

00:58:49,798 --> 00:58:51,738

Sandusky County, Common Pleas Court.

:

00:58:52,908 --> 00:58:57,138

th,:

of a dog was discovered on the

:

00:58:57,138 --> 00:58:59,118

Northcoast Inland Bike Trail.

:

00:58:59,568 --> 00:59:02,918

The Fremont police, and soon after

this Sandusky chief dog warden,

:

00:59:03,478 --> 00:59:07,188

arrived at the scene where a blood

trail led to the lifeless body of

:

00:59:07,188 --> 00:59:09,138

a young female pit bull type dog.

:

00:59:09,918 --> 00:59:14,028

After months of hard work, the

perpetrator of this crime was identified.

:

00:59:14,448 --> 00:59:16,218

Defendant Leshawn Gilleland.

:

00:59:16,728 --> 00:59:20,478

And the deceased dog initially

known as "river dog" could finally

:

00:59:20,478 --> 00:59:22,878

be referred to by her name, Ganja.

:

00:59:23,778 --> 00:59:27,678

This statement represents a narrative

of the violent actions against Ganja

:

00:59:27,948 --> 00:59:32,058

that led to her death to help the court

understand what she experienced and how

:

00:59:32,058 --> 00:59:34,068

she suffered at the hands of her owner.

:

00:59:35,418 --> 00:59:39,798

There is evidence that prior to her

death Ganja was the victim of abuse.

:

00:59:40,218 --> 00:59:43,908

The necropsy performed at the Ohio State

University Veterinary Medical Center

:

00:59:44,178 --> 00:59:46,338

revealed multiple healed, broken ribs.

:

00:59:46,878 --> 00:59:50,418

This is a common finding in animals

who are the victims of abuse, who

:

00:59:50,418 --> 00:59:53,598

have been kicked about the chest

hard enough to result in broken ribs.

:

00:59:54,228 --> 00:59:57,828

These fractures were healed and

thus not a result of trauma near

:

00:59:57,828 --> 00:59:59,328

or on the day of the incident.

:

01:00:00,228 --> 01:00:04,488

That trauma would have been painful, and

the broken ribs would have resulted in

:

01:00:04,488 --> 01:00:06,618

extended pain until healing occurred.

:

01:00:07,728 --> 01:00:08,778

During an interview.

:

01:00:09,078 --> 01:00:09,378

Mr.

:

01:00:09,378 --> 01:00:12,828

Gilleland said that Ganja was chewing

on stuff, so he picked her up and

:

01:00:12,828 --> 01:00:14,208

took her on a walk on the trail.

:

01:00:14,898 --> 01:00:19,218

He then said that she was hit by a car

on the head, but seemed fine afterwards.

:

01:00:19,758 --> 01:00:23,448

He continued to walk on the trail

with her behind him off-leash because

:

01:00:23,448 --> 01:00:24,708

she was trained to follow him.

:

01:00:25,518 --> 01:00:28,158

Eventually he realized

he wasn't behind him

:

01:00:28,158 --> 01:00:32,178

and, when he walked back, he found

her laying down, shaking with

:

01:00:32,178 --> 01:00:33,588

foam coming out of her mouth.

:

01:00:33,978 --> 01:00:36,168

So he hit her on the head

to end her suffering.

:

01:00:36,918 --> 01:00:40,188

He then tried to set the dog on the

rocks, but it fell, so he had to

:

01:00:40,188 --> 01:00:42,168

climb down and carry her further down.

:

01:00:42,738 --> 01:00:45,498

He said he did not consider taking

the dog to the veterinarian for

:

01:00:45,498 --> 01:00:49,488

care because it was sentimental

value and there was nothing there.

:

01:00:50,928 --> 01:00:54,558

The necropsy exam and the blood

found at the scene revealed a

:

01:00:54,558 --> 01:01:00,078

different series of actions that were

premeditated, unnecessary and brutal.

:

01:01:00,858 --> 01:01:04,428

The pathologist did not find any

evidence of trauma from a car accident.

:

01:01:05,118 --> 01:01:08,208

If Ganja had been hit by a

car, she would've had other

:

01:01:08,208 --> 01:01:09,978

injuries and bruises on her body.

:

01:01:10,428 --> 01:01:13,698

And she would have been showing signs

of trauma at the time of the incident.

:

01:01:14,388 --> 01:01:18,258

The pathologist did find two fractures

of the skull consistent with at least

:

01:01:18,258 --> 01:01:21,838

two forceful hits to the head that

resulted in breaking of the skull

:

01:01:21,888 --> 01:01:23,568

and trauma and bleeding of the brain.

:

01:01:24,258 --> 01:01:27,648

This brutal attack is likely

to result in death, but death

:

01:01:27,678 --> 01:01:29,238

did not appear to be immediate.

:

01:01:29,718 --> 01:01:34,128

The exam also revealed a fracture on

both sides of the face, consistent

:

01:01:34,128 --> 01:01:38,418

with a smashing injury to the head

from side to side, which does not

:

01:01:38,418 --> 01:01:40,398

coincide with being struck with a rock.

:

01:01:41,148 --> 01:01:44,598

The blood spatter helped put together

the actions that resulted in the injuries

:

01:01:44,598 --> 01:01:46,308

Ganja suffered during the attack.

:

01:01:46,938 --> 01:01:48,978

There was spatter of blood

drips, consistent with

:

01:01:48,978 --> 01:01:50,418

multiple strikes to the head.

:

01:01:50,928 --> 01:01:54,138

The most disturbing finding was

spatter and a bloody footprint that

:

01:01:54,138 --> 01:01:58,938

indicates that, after Ganja fell on

the floor following the attack, Mr.

:

01:01:58,938 --> 01:02:02,928

Gilleland forcefully stumped on her

face causing the facial fractures.

:

01:02:03,758 --> 01:02:07,338

While we can not know if Ganja was

conscious at the time, we know that she

:

01:02:07,338 --> 01:02:11,298

was still alive and it is possible that

she underwent pain and suffering up

:

01:02:11,298 --> 01:02:13,478

until she lost consciousness and died.

:

01:02:14,558 --> 01:02:15,068

When Mr.

:

01:02:15,068 --> 01:02:18,728

Gilleland threw her body onto the

rocks, Ganja still alive based on

:

01:02:18,728 --> 01:02:21,488

the blood pooling that is consistent

with her heart still beating.

:

01:02:22,028 --> 01:02:25,448

The second location where her body

was moved to did not have blood

:

01:02:25,448 --> 01:02:27,698

pooling, indicating she had passed.

:

01:02:28,628 --> 01:02:31,358

It is painful to know that Ganja

trusted her owner enough to

:

01:02:31,358 --> 01:02:33,038

follow him off leash to a trail.

:

01:02:33,548 --> 01:02:37,268

This demonstration of betrayal, in

addition to the vicious attack on a

:

01:02:37,268 --> 01:02:41,558

young dog that he himself owned shows

that he does not demonstrate empathy

:

01:02:41,558 --> 01:02:43,388

towards living beings under his care.

:

01:02:44,048 --> 01:02:48,068

If his initial story holds any truth,

it seems that he became angry with

:

01:02:48,068 --> 01:02:49,958

Ganja after she chewed something up.

:

01:02:50,318 --> 01:02:53,618

So angry at his dog, that he walked

her all the way to the bridge under the

:

01:02:53,618 --> 01:02:55,778

trail to kill her and throw away the body

:

01:02:56,528 --> 01:02:59,228

animal cruelty is not acceptable, and Mr.

:

01:02:59,228 --> 01:03:01,718

Gilleland must be held

accountable for his actions.

:

01:03:02,138 --> 01:03:05,168

We ask the court to sentence him

to the maximum allowed by law.

:

01:03:05,588 --> 01:03:09,068

We also request a permanent ban on

ownership and access to animals.

:

01:03:09,428 --> 01:03:12,668

We can not help Ganja, but we

can help protect other dogs

:

01:03:12,668 --> 01:03:14,388

from the violence we know Mr.

:

01:03:14,388 --> 01:03:16,278

Gilleland is capable of inflicting.

:

01:03:16,788 --> 01:03:18,378

This was not an active impulse.

:

01:03:18,708 --> 01:03:22,908

This was premeditated animal

cruelty, unnecessary and violin.

:

01:03:23,268 --> 01:03:25,968

We hear by ask the court

for justice where ganja.

:

01:03:27,355 --> 01:03:31,585

Kelly Pocock: So, when we first got

to court for the sentencing hearing,

:

01:03:31,865 --> 01:03:33,615

we've now updated the public.

:

01:03:33,615 --> 01:03:36,605

We've released the name of the individual.

:

01:03:36,955 --> 01:03:42,475

I'm really stoked about this

victim impact statement that's

:

01:03:42,475 --> 01:03:44,855

going to be read in the courtroom.

:

01:03:45,345 --> 01:03:48,415

Um, because this is just leaps and bounds

:

01:03:48,865 --> 01:03:52,115

as for the animals that

are victims of abuse.

:

01:03:52,695 --> 01:03:55,950

And as soon as we got

there, I have my copy of it.

:

01:03:55,960 --> 01:03:58,840

I'm assuming the prosecutor is

going to ask me to read it out loud.

:

01:03:59,260 --> 01:04:03,130

Um, or if they would like, if the judge

would prefer the prosecutor to read

:

01:04:03,130 --> 01:04:04,600

it out loud, I'm okay with that too.

:

01:04:04,600 --> 01:04:06,060

Here's the, here's the copy of it.

:

01:04:06,740 --> 01:04:09,580

And she kind of looked at me

and she said, they're not going

:

01:04:09,580 --> 01:04:10,740

to let you read that in court.

:

01:04:10,790 --> 01:04:12,530

And I'm like, then why

did you have me write it?

:

01:04:12,580 --> 01:04:15,780

Like, why did you want it to be wrote

if it wasn't going to be in court?

:

01:04:16,490 --> 01:04:19,060

She's like, well, we

got the next best thing.

:

01:04:19,080 --> 01:04:20,779

The judge is going to

read it in his quarter.

:

01:04:20,779 --> 01:04:23,810

So he will read the victim

impact statement, but it is

:

01:04:23,810 --> 01:04:25,029

not going to be read aloud.

:

01:04:25,470 --> 01:04:28,350

And I'm like, well, he's the

one deciding the sentence.

:

01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:30,260

So at least we have that.

:

01:04:30,850 --> 01:04:35,670

But then the defense as we're going

into the sentencing aspect of this.

:

01:04:36,220 --> 01:04:40,630

It was pretty much, I mean, I'll

just repeat exactly what was said.

:

01:04:41,080 --> 01:04:43,270

My client didn't make

a good judgment call.

:

01:04:43,279 --> 01:04:44,410

He made a mistake.

:

01:04:44,720 --> 01:04:46,180

He knows he shouldn't have done that.

:

01:04:46,460 --> 01:04:47,920

It was a stupid decision.

:

01:04:47,930 --> 01:04:50,470

My client was stupid when he did this.

:

01:04:50,800 --> 01:04:54,529

He was stupid when he made the

mistake that was the other felony

:

01:04:54,529 --> 01:04:58,400

that's on his case, he paid for his

crime, he did his time, you know,

:

01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:00,500

he paid back his debt to society.

:

01:05:00,830 --> 01:05:06,020

But my client was stupid and he probably

repeated that at least three times.

:

01:05:06,529 --> 01:05:09,250

I honestly, I just couldn't really

even believe what I was hearing.

:

01:05:09,260 --> 01:05:12,980

Of course, then we have the, well,

feel bad for my client because he's

:

01:05:12,980 --> 01:05:16,040

got this going on in his life and

there's kids involved and there's this

:

01:05:16,040 --> 01:05:17,510

involved and there's that involved.

:

01:05:17,510 --> 01:05:22,260

And, you know, hey, you know, if you

commit a crime, like those are all

:

01:05:22,290 --> 01:05:26,455

things that the defendant should be

keeping in the back of their head.

:

01:05:26,465 --> 01:05:27,765

That's not just a defense.

:

01:05:27,765 --> 01:05:31,245

That's also should keep you from

committing the crime to begin with.

:

01:05:31,605 --> 01:05:39,045

The judge then, he really hashed over,

verbally out loud, like how to get where

:

01:05:39,045 --> 01:05:45,275

he needed to be working through this

felony and, you know, how do we like not

:

01:05:45,275 --> 01:05:49,745

spend a lot of money on this and, you

know, the citizens are, you know, they

:

01:05:49,745 --> 01:05:54,745

put the bill for this, so we need to make

sure that the punishment is swift and just

:

01:05:54,745 --> 01:05:59,615

and we're not overdoing it, underdoing it,

um, and he even, you know, made a comment

:

01:05:59,654 --> 01:06:04,315

about that in the hearing, like he doesn't

normally or take all of this out loud.

:

01:06:04,970 --> 01:06:09,430

He's just trying to be perfectly clear,

like, how he's coming to his decision

:

01:06:09,430 --> 01:06:11,170

on what he's sentencing him with.

:

01:06:11,740 --> 01:06:16,480

So, as he's kind of mumbling some of this

stuff here and there, he's reading some

:

01:06:16,480 --> 01:06:20,520

of it out loud and we're kind of following

along, then he gives Leshawn Gilleland a

:

01:06:20,520 --> 01:06:23,300

chance to stand up and speak for himself.

:

01:06:23,300 --> 01:06:26,080

And he's like, do you

want to address the court?

:

01:06:26,110 --> 01:06:29,260

And the attorney told his client

to stand up and address the court.

:

01:06:29,270 --> 01:06:29,860

He did.

:

01:06:30,385 --> 01:06:32,635

And then he said, I was stupid.

:

01:06:32,985 --> 01:06:34,205

I made a dumb decision.

:

01:06:34,415 --> 01:06:37,335

I will never, looking back I

wish I could do it differently.

:

01:06:37,615 --> 01:06:39,495

I will never make this mistake again.

:

01:06:39,825 --> 01:06:43,765

I, I truly am sorry for what I've done.

:

01:06:44,225 --> 01:06:50,564

But again, there was that whole lack

of, now it's just a how, how do I

:

01:06:50,564 --> 01:06:52,774

get through this on the easiest path?

:

01:06:53,194 --> 01:06:56,494

Not a true apology.

:

01:06:56,724 --> 01:07:02,774

It's a, well, if I, they want to hear

me say, just like before, they want

:

01:07:02,774 --> 01:07:06,294

me to be emotion full about my dog.

:

01:07:06,494 --> 01:07:08,774

That's how I should feel.

:

01:07:08,784 --> 01:07:11,534

So that's what I need

to portray like an actor.

:

01:07:11,874 --> 01:07:16,784

And I got that same feeling as he was

giving his, his statement to the court.

:

01:07:17,154 --> 01:07:19,584

It's just a, well, what's done is done.

:

01:07:20,354 --> 01:07:21,814

I admitted my guilt.

:

01:07:22,154 --> 01:07:27,014

If I am just forthcoming and I tell them

what I think that they want to hear, then

:

01:07:27,024 --> 01:07:31,114

they're going to go easier on me that,

you know, I can't speak for someone's

:

01:07:31,114 --> 01:07:36,434

intentions, but that was the feeling that

I got sitting in the courtroom that day.

:

01:07:36,814 --> 01:07:42,044

It just, he continued on with his

calculation of what was going to happen.

:

01:07:42,074 --> 01:07:44,684

And I mean, we were all sitting

on the edge of our seats, you

:

01:07:44,684 --> 01:07:45,944

know, throughout this time.

:

01:07:46,519 --> 01:07:49,319

Waiting for what the judge's

determination would be.

:

01:07:50,239 --> 01:07:53,519

So the sentence was 90 days in jail.

:

01:07:53,729 --> 01:07:59,639

He was to receive credit for 2 days for

the weekend that he had gotten arrested on

:

01:07:59,659 --> 01:08:01,709

Friday and wasn't arraigned until Monday.

:

01:08:02,189 --> 01:08:03,288

There was no fine.

:

01:08:03,949 --> 01:08:08,139

Um, he, once he's released from

jail, he is on probation for 3 years.

:

01:08:08,604 --> 01:08:13,894

During that probationary period, he is

not allowed to own, harbor, keep, nor care

:

01:08:13,894 --> 01:08:16,863

for any animals for those three years.

:

01:08:17,374 --> 01:08:22,294

So then the conversation came up,

what about the dog that belongs

:

01:08:22,294 --> 01:08:25,124

to his girlfriend that's in the

home that they live in together?

:

01:08:25,714 --> 01:08:29,344

And the judge said, do you

want to try, do you want the

:

01:08:29,354 --> 01:08:33,124

opportunity for your girlfriend

to find a new home for that dog?

:

01:08:33,413 --> 01:08:35,703

Or do you want the dog

warden to take that dog?

:

01:08:36,049 --> 01:08:37,249

What would you like to do?

:

01:08:37,269 --> 01:08:39,019

And he said, neither.

:

01:08:39,019 --> 01:08:41,259

She shouldn't have to get rid

of her dog, I'll move out.

:

01:08:41,745 --> 01:08:45,885

And the judge commented back to

him, so you're going to leave your

:

01:08:45,885 --> 01:08:50,024

girlfriend and your children and

move out so they can keep the dog.

:

01:08:50,265 --> 01:08:50,965

Yes, I will.

:

01:08:52,005 --> 01:08:53,995

And nothing else was said about that.

:

01:08:53,995 --> 01:08:57,035

So the order was never given for that.

:

01:08:57,555 --> 01:09:03,890

Um, I'm, I'm assuming, like, if we

later on, once he's released from jail

:

01:09:03,910 --> 01:09:08,720

and he's on probation, if the probation

officer finds that he's staying at home

:

01:09:08,720 --> 01:09:12,703

with the dog, that they can violate

his probation, and then he has more

:

01:09:12,703 --> 01:09:14,493

time hanging over his head for that.

:

01:09:15,943 --> 01:09:19,314

But there was never a direct order given.

:

01:09:19,323 --> 01:09:23,854

In fact, it was very unclear what's

to happen with the dog in the home.

:

01:09:24,714 --> 01:09:30,618

During his bond time that he was

out of jail on his recognizant

:

01:09:30,639 --> 01:09:34,809

bond, he was not allowed to be

left unsupervised with that dog.

:

01:09:35,189 --> 01:09:38,959

Well, we didn't talk about supervision

and we didn't come up with a

:

01:09:38,959 --> 01:09:41,639

concrete answer of the dog had to go.

:

01:09:41,879 --> 01:09:45,259

The dog had to, you know, go to a new

home or the dog had to be euthanized.

:

01:09:45,589 --> 01:09:48,578

This dog, by the way,

was the sweetest puppy.

:

01:09:48,868 --> 01:09:52,169

we had interacted with

it on numerous occasions.

:

01:09:52,529 --> 01:09:57,364

Once Mr Gilleland became a part

of this household, this dog's

:

01:09:57,364 --> 01:09:59,524

behavior drastically changed.

:

01:09:59,864 --> 01:10:02,334

You cannot walk down the

sidewalk near this house.

:

01:10:02,364 --> 01:10:04,164

This dog is extremely aggressive.

:

01:10:04,624 --> 01:10:06,784

If he does not know you, he will bite you.

:

01:10:07,289 --> 01:10:12,399

Um, we have had, at least 12

to 14 non reports where people

:

01:10:12,399 --> 01:10:13,709

don't want to come forward.

:

01:10:14,089 --> 01:10:17,299

We just find out that they've

been bit, but they won't name the

:

01:10:17,299 --> 01:10:18,839

person because they're afraid.

:

01:10:19,509 --> 01:10:24,879

And then we've had three confirmed bites

that were the person reported it, and

:

01:10:25,504 --> 01:10:29,254

we had to do the follow up through the

dog warden's office, you know, on making

:

01:10:29,254 --> 01:10:32,634

sure they did the 10 day quarantine

and all those laws that go with Ohio.

:

01:10:33,104 --> 01:10:37,774

So, um, that was kind of another

indication to me, like that drastic

:

01:10:37,784 --> 01:10:43,064

behavior change from a puppy who, if

we approached him and he was tied out,

:

01:10:43,064 --> 01:10:46,564

he would roll over on his back and

expose his belly to us immediately.

:

01:10:46,974 --> 01:10:51,204

To now this uber aggressive dog, and

I'm sure maturity had a little bit

:

01:10:51,204 --> 01:10:55,464

to do with that, but the environment

probably had the most to do with that,

:

01:10:55,674 --> 01:11:00,104

to where you don't approach the house

if that dog is out you, they had,

:

01:11:00,204 --> 01:11:02,654

they couldn't tie him out where they

used to they had to put them over on

:

01:11:02,654 --> 01:11:06,874

a different area so that he wasn't

as exposed to people out walking.

:

01:11:07,154 --> 01:11:09,964

And he's a, he's a big he

probably weighs 100 pounds.

:

01:11:10,489 --> 01:11:13,399

So it was kind of like, well, what

are we going to do with this dog?

:

01:11:13,419 --> 01:11:17,189

If that dog ends up at the dog warden's

office, I can't put that dog into another

:

01:11:17,189 --> 01:11:19,449

home for the safety of the community.

:

01:11:19,449 --> 01:11:21,229

I would have no option but to euthanize.

:

01:11:21,689 --> 01:11:25,879

So for the sake of the dog, if

she can find somebody that can

:

01:11:25,879 --> 01:11:30,639

handle this dog, let's give that

dog the opportunity to be rehomed,

:

01:11:31,209 --> 01:11:35,109

which is probably not the most

responsible thing for me to do as the

:

01:11:35,109 --> 01:11:38,439

dog warden, but as the animal cruelty

investigator, like that's constantly a.

:

01:11:39,479 --> 01:11:42,009

You know, the justice scales

of weighing it back and forth.

:

01:11:42,449 --> 01:11:45,769

Um, but I don't want

to just put down a dog.

:

01:11:46,139 --> 01:11:48,818

Under different ownership, we

might get different behavior.

:

01:11:48,829 --> 01:11:52,379

Somebody could rehabilitate that dog

and it could make a great dog and

:

01:11:52,389 --> 01:11:56,429

it could have a really good chance

of being rehabilitated once they

:

01:11:56,429 --> 01:12:00,369

got the correction it needs and it

boundaries are established, et cetera.

:

01:12:00,889 --> 01:12:01,379

So.

:

01:12:01,844 --> 01:12:04,724

You know, I was like, well, do the,

give them the option when the prosecutor

:

01:12:04,724 --> 01:12:08,604

asked me, give them the option to

rehome or euthanize, they can take

:

01:12:08,604 --> 01:12:09,584

it to the vet and have it euthanized.

:

01:12:09,734 --> 01:12:12,124

That way they're there with the

dog when it, when it passes.

:

01:12:12,684 --> 01:12:15,344

And his option was no,

we're not doing any of that.

:

01:12:15,354 --> 01:12:15,924

I'll move out.

:

01:12:16,797 --> 01:12:19,907

DrG: So we'll see once he

is released, what happens.

:

01:12:20,517 --> 01:12:23,657

Because I mean, yeah, it it

doesn't sound like he has any

:

01:12:23,657 --> 01:12:24,977

kind of respect for the law.

:

01:12:25,367 --> 01:12:31,177

So I, I see him, you know, again, saying

what what people want to hear so that they

:

01:12:31,177 --> 01:12:34,317

leave him alone and then figuring that

there's not going to be much consequence,

:

01:12:34,697 --> 01:12:39,927

even though I mean, he has spent a very

large majority of his life in prison

:

01:12:40,127 --> 01:12:45,027

behind bars for bad decisions that he's

making, you know, this brings Back to,

:

01:12:45,047 --> 01:12:49,757

again, like the, the link and everything

else, but also the importance of mental

:

01:12:49,757 --> 01:12:55,007

health evaluations, and just, he's

going to jail for 90 days, he's gonna

:

01:12:55,007 --> 01:12:57,217

come out, is he gonna be rehabilitated?

:

01:12:57,217 --> 01:12:59,217

Is he gonna make good decisions?

:

01:12:59,237 --> 01:13:03,587

You know, all we have is hoping that he

makes good decisions because he doesn't

:

01:13:03,587 --> 01:13:08,822

want to go back to jail, but, yeah, it's,

if it's in his nature, something needs

:

01:13:08,822 --> 01:13:15,792

to, to happen to cause some positive

effect in his behavior, like just, just

:

01:13:15,792 --> 01:13:17,652

sending him to jail is not going to do it.

:

01:13:18,442 --> 01:13:20,872

I want to congratulate you

for the work that you did.

:

01:13:20,882 --> 01:13:23,622

You know, we wish that he would

have gotten more time in jail.

:

01:13:23,652 --> 01:13:27,092

And realistically, I mean, the most

that he could have gotten is a year.

:

01:13:27,372 --> 01:13:31,667

So it's not like he got three months

and he could have gotten three years.

:

01:13:31,687 --> 01:13:36,607

No, the penalty, the sentencing

guidelines are three months to a year.

:

01:13:37,107 --> 01:13:42,447

But I think that, you know, these

are cases that it's very difficult to

:

01:13:42,447 --> 01:13:44,197

find out what happened, who did it.

:

01:13:44,207 --> 01:13:47,947

Most animals that are found dead on the

side of the road, like nobody ever finds

:

01:13:47,947 --> 01:13:53,160

anything out and your hard work and

dedication to this case clearly, paid off.

:

01:13:53,445 --> 01:13:57,465

And that you were able to find

somebody to hold them accountable for

:

01:13:57,465 --> 01:14:00,765

what happened to this dog and then

look through all the information,

:

01:14:01,015 --> 01:14:03,825

get help because we were all not

:

01:14:03,997 --> 01:14:06,177

perfect, and we can't do everything.

:

01:14:06,187 --> 01:14:10,077

So reaching out and getting help

to try to evaluate everything.

:

01:14:10,657 --> 01:14:14,287

So you got all this information and built

up a really strong case that got this

:

01:14:14,287 --> 01:14:17,177

guy charged with felony animal cruelty.

:

01:14:17,257 --> 01:14:20,067

So that's, that's something really good.

:

01:14:20,067 --> 01:14:23,912

And hopefully, we don't want animals

to get harmed, but unfortunately,

:

01:14:24,332 --> 01:14:25,982

there's a lot of bad people out there.

:

01:14:26,342 --> 01:14:30,122

So, you know, hopefully this is

an indication that as we move

:

01:14:30,122 --> 01:14:33,112

forward, people are going to be

held accountable for their actions.

:

01:14:33,972 --> 01:14:35,652

Kelly Pocock: We try to pull the positive.

:

01:14:35,662 --> 01:14:40,252

Um, I mean, we have, we've had,

um, one of our detectives made the

:

01:14:40,252 --> 01:14:44,282

statement to my deputy, like these,

these are the ones that go unsolved.

:

01:14:44,442 --> 01:14:46,692

Like you guys did a great job on that.

:

01:14:46,752 --> 01:14:52,372

And I mean, it was, He, he pretty much

got himself caught up in this because,

:

01:14:52,432 --> 01:14:57,222

without him speaking to somebody

about this situation, I'm not sure

:

01:14:57,222 --> 01:14:58,612

that we ever would have caught him.

:

01:14:59,032 --> 01:15:02,852

It was the fact that, you know,

these people, these people did

:

01:15:02,862 --> 01:15:05,692

like, I don't want to tell you

who I am, but I have information.

:

01:15:06,342 --> 01:15:09,922

I'm afraid of the person that

did this, but I have information.

:

01:15:09,932 --> 01:15:12,322

If you can leave my name out of

it, I'm like, I don't need a name.

:

01:15:12,352 --> 01:15:15,052

Tell me, you know, like

point me in a direction.

:

01:15:15,082 --> 01:15:17,802

We'll go there and find the proof

if this person truly did it.

:

01:15:18,367 --> 01:15:21,367

But that, that finger point

in that direction is really,

:

01:15:21,367 --> 01:15:22,567

truly what got us there.

:

01:15:22,567 --> 01:15:26,827

And it's that finger point may not

have ever happened had he not been

:

01:15:26,827 --> 01:15:29,237

discussing what happened to this dog.

:

01:15:29,287 --> 01:15:32,877

I mean, he kind of has himself to

thank for the trouble that he's in.

:

01:15:32,877 --> 01:15:35,807

He also has, I mean, like he got

caught because of himself too.

:

01:15:36,327 --> 01:15:39,087

So, we were disappointed

with the 90 days,

:

01:15:39,517 --> 01:15:43,992

But we're trying to look at the positive,

you know, We almost, we got a judge

:

01:15:43,992 --> 01:15:45,672

to read a victim impact statement.

:

01:15:45,682 --> 01:15:49,522

So the next time maybe it'll be right

on the stand , whether it's this County

:

01:15:49,522 --> 01:15:54,842

or any other County , if we can get

it to the point where, um, these dogs

:

01:15:54,892 --> 01:15:58,602

can be victims, even though they are

considered in property, they're still

:

01:15:58,612 --> 01:16:04,512

living, breathing creature, you know,

like she finally can rest in peace

:

01:16:04,512 --> 01:16:06,762

because we have found justice for her.

:

01:16:07,072 --> 01:16:08,472

The small amount of justice.

:

01:16:08,917 --> 01:16:12,857

But we found justice for her so she can

rest at peace and that's, that's how we

:

01:16:12,857 --> 01:16:14,307

lay our heads on our pillows at night.

:

01:16:14,807 --> 01:16:19,437

You know, we just, we do what we can do

and that's all we can do and we don't stop

:

01:16:19,457 --> 01:16:21,237

until we know that that's all we can do.

:

01:16:21,950 --> 01:16:24,970

DrG: This was an excellent case from

beginning to end and it's almost

:

01:16:24,970 --> 01:16:27,260

something out of a TV show, right?

:

01:16:27,280 --> 01:16:31,950

Like we have the crime scene, we have the

investigation, we have the interviews,

:

01:16:32,260 --> 01:16:39,140

we have the autopsy, we have blood

spatter, and then we catch the guy and

:

01:16:39,150 --> 01:16:40,970

sentencing and then he goes to jail.

:

01:16:40,970 --> 01:16:46,950

So it's almost like something that you

see on, on television, but in real life.

:

01:16:47,214 --> 01:16:51,094

I do want to thank you for involving

me in this case, because it was a good

:

01:16:51,094 --> 01:16:55,744

feeling to be part of something like

this, where, you know, we were able to

:

01:16:55,744 --> 01:17:00,184

get justice for this dog and find this

person, getting him sentenced so that

:

01:17:00,184 --> 01:17:01,544

he can pay for the crime that he did.

:

01:17:02,189 --> 01:17:05,389

Kelly Pocock: And your help in this

like was amazing because I just had

:

01:17:05,398 --> 01:17:10,989

all these puzzle pieces and you said

send me everything and I did and you

:

01:17:10,999 --> 01:17:16,339

send me back this picture and I'm like,

it's the puzzle is almost complete,

:

01:17:16,609 --> 01:17:22,599

you know, and it gave us like, we can

confidently go to him and say, I did

:

01:17:22,599 --> 01:17:24,648

attempt to interview him a second time.

:

01:17:25,294 --> 01:17:29,004

And ask him and tell him, like,

the forensic evidence does not show

:

01:17:29,004 --> 01:17:30,554

that this dog was hit by a car.

:

01:17:31,054 --> 01:17:34,374

Um, he refused to speak

to me and hung up on me.

:

01:17:34,864 --> 01:17:38,124

Um, so I did give him the

opportunity, but he didn't take it.

:

01:17:38,604 --> 01:17:43,264

Um, so, I mean, you'll have that, but,

I mean, you putting that puzzle piece

:

01:17:43,264 --> 01:17:47,124

together and telling us that there's,

there's no evidence whatsoever that this

:

01:17:47,124 --> 01:17:52,544

dog was hit by a car, I can confidently

tell you this dog was not struck by a

:

01:17:52,544 --> 01:17:59,174

vehicle that was the key, but just, we

have all these pieces and we're trying

:

01:17:59,174 --> 01:18:03,924

to, and you just like effortlessly

put this puzzle together for us and

:

01:18:03,924 --> 01:18:07,193

it was that part, like we don't have.

:

01:18:07,314 --> 01:18:08,664

We do the groundwork,

:

01:18:08,664 --> 01:18:12,034

you have this brilliant way of

putting all that stuff together.

:

01:18:12,044 --> 01:18:17,344

And the fact that you give that help,

you know, to anyone that asks you for

:

01:18:17,344 --> 01:18:22,482

that, that's just, it definitely speaks

volumes for where you stand on, on these

:

01:18:22,482 --> 01:18:25,767

issues and on what an advocate you are.

:

01:18:25,977 --> 01:18:26,787

DrG: It takes a team.

:

01:18:26,787 --> 01:18:31,305

So we were, we were a really good

team, everybody involved in this case.

:

01:18:32,315 --> 01:18:35,875

If somebody sees a crime, thinks

that their crime has been committed

:

01:18:35,934 --> 01:18:38,575

against an animal, what should they do?

:

01:18:39,455 --> 01:18:40,305

Kelly Pocock: Oh, absolutely.

:

01:18:40,325 --> 01:18:44,295

I mean, it's, it kind of goes

along with the whole, the whole

:

01:18:44,295 --> 01:18:47,445

mantra that is happening across the

United States anywhere right now.

:

01:18:47,445 --> 01:18:48,995

If you see something, say something.

:

01:18:49,495 --> 01:18:55,650

Um, I would much rather go and check on an

animal and have it be absolutely nothing,

:

01:18:56,340 --> 01:19:00,559

than to find out three days later,

it's dead because nobody said something

:

01:19:00,590 --> 01:19:05,360

and we could have prevented it or that

it's injured or abused or anything.

:

01:19:05,370 --> 01:19:09,450

So, you know, if you see something

and it concerns you and it makes

:

01:19:09,450 --> 01:19:13,390

you take that second thought of

what did I just see call it in.

:

01:19:13,680 --> 01:19:17,290

I mean, every county in Ohio has

someone that investigates this.

:

01:19:17,750 --> 01:19:21,130

If they don't have an animal cruelty

investigator that's dedicated

:

01:19:21,140 --> 01:19:26,320

specifically to, you know, animals,

then you have a dog warden that

:

01:19:26,320 --> 01:19:28,460

can investigate cruelty to dogs.

:

01:19:28,640 --> 01:19:30,130

They just have to do

it in a different way.

:

01:19:30,540 --> 01:19:34,070

If you don't like if they're not willing

to do it, you go to your sheriff, you go

:

01:19:34,070 --> 01:19:38,270

to your local police department, there's

somebody to investigate animal crimes.

:

01:19:38,750 --> 01:19:43,400

So, um, like if you see it, say it,

turn it in, tell him you have a concern.

:

01:19:43,610 --> 01:19:45,450

Hey, my neighbor's dog has been outside.

:

01:19:45,450 --> 01:19:47,900

It doesn't have a dog

house and it's 10 degrees.

:

01:19:48,340 --> 01:19:52,950

Well, is it a husky or is

it, you know, a pit bull?

:

01:19:52,960 --> 01:19:53,930

There's a difference.

:

01:19:54,210 --> 01:19:56,530

We try to educate our

law enforcement officers.

:

01:19:56,530 --> 01:20:00,250

So like, if we're not on duty at the time,

they, they have my cell phone number.

:

01:20:00,250 --> 01:20:01,240

They can call me anytime.

:

01:20:01,260 --> 01:20:02,470

They can call me two

o'clock in the morning.

:

01:20:02,470 --> 01:20:03,870

I'll answer any question for you.

:

01:20:04,505 --> 01:20:10,955

But I would much rather check and

find nothing than not check and end up

:

01:20:11,075 --> 01:20:12,765

that an animal suffers because of it.

:

01:20:13,495 --> 01:20:15,805

so it's, it's just that simple.

:

01:20:15,815 --> 01:20:19,715

Like, even if you're not sure

of what you saw, call us.

:

01:20:19,755 --> 01:20:20,665

We'll go check it out.

:

01:20:21,465 --> 01:20:22,245

We'll go check.

:

01:20:22,255 --> 01:20:23,525

We'll make sure they're okay.

:

01:20:23,825 --> 01:20:25,585

We'll make sure like

if there's neglect on.

:

01:20:25,815 --> 01:20:28,865

We are huge in Sandusky

County on education.

:

01:20:29,375 --> 01:20:33,815

So if there's a few simple, like,

educational tips that I can give to

:

01:20:33,815 --> 01:20:38,845

you, that's going to help you raise your

animal better, or you don't realize that

:

01:20:38,855 --> 01:20:42,605

this one thing that you're doing is, is

neglectful, well, let's correct that.

:

01:20:43,225 --> 01:20:47,415

We can put like a plan in place

where we're working on, um, we

:

01:20:47,415 --> 01:20:49,075

have unsanitary living conditions.

:

01:20:49,075 --> 01:20:49,385

Okay.

:

01:20:49,385 --> 01:20:51,355

Well, this week, you

need to hit this goal.

:

01:20:52,170 --> 01:20:53,750

You know, I'll work with

you for three weeks.

:

01:20:53,750 --> 01:20:56,710

If you're not making any progress

after that, then we're going to have

:

01:20:56,710 --> 01:21:00,150

to go a different route, but week

one, this is what I want you to do.

:

01:21:00,150 --> 01:21:02,220

Week two, we're going to work on this.

:

01:21:02,490 --> 01:21:04,390

Week three, and then we'll get you there.

:

01:21:04,490 --> 01:21:07,000

If I have to come and help,

we've done that before.

:

01:21:07,480 --> 01:21:10,220

But the key is that they are victims.

:

01:21:11,225 --> 01:21:15,105

Every animal can be a victim, and

they don't have a voice to speak for

:

01:21:15,105 --> 01:21:17,195

themselves, so we have to speak for them.

:

01:21:17,775 --> 01:21:21,665

So, if you're, if you are out

there and you're wondering, should

:

01:21:21,665 --> 01:21:25,585

I have said something, next time

you see something, just speak up.

:

01:21:25,955 --> 01:21:29,215

There's somebody that can go

check and just be a voice for

:

01:21:29,245 --> 01:21:33,175

that animal that it might not

ever have that opportunity again.

:

01:21:33,175 --> 01:21:36,705

You might be the only person that

saw a glimpse of something, you

:

01:21:36,705 --> 01:21:37,955

just weren't sure what it was.

:

01:21:38,580 --> 01:21:42,160

So give your gut the benefit of the

doubt of calling that in and letting

:

01:21:42,160 --> 01:21:46,260

somebody that has the knowledge

to go and check, go check it out.

:

01:21:46,610 --> 01:21:50,880

You know, we'll, we'll stay involved

in cases with people I've had, you

:

01:21:50,880 --> 01:21:53,050

know, up to six months, up to a year.

:

01:21:53,290 --> 01:21:56,160

There are people that we go check

on every two months to make sure

:

01:21:56,160 --> 01:21:57,655

that everything's still going well.

:

01:21:58,445 --> 01:22:01,645

There are people I check on

once every one or two years

:

01:22:01,645 --> 01:22:02,805

just to see how they're doing.

:

01:22:03,165 --> 01:22:08,865

But in being huge on education, I mean,

obviously if it's a heinous crime like

:

01:22:08,865 --> 01:22:11,535

this one, there's nothing, there's

nothing I can do to educate him.

:

01:22:11,535 --> 01:22:12,934

He just needs to pay for his crime.

:

01:22:13,425 --> 01:22:14,365

So there's a line.

:

01:22:14,755 --> 01:22:19,619

But being as big on education is

what we are, we've developed some

:

01:22:19,619 --> 01:22:23,568

pretty amazing relationships with

the people that we've worked for,

:

01:22:23,669 --> 01:22:26,439

like worked with to solve an issue.

:

01:22:26,719 --> 01:22:30,169

I have had numerous

volunteers come to us and say.

:

01:22:30,579 --> 01:22:32,469

Hey, I'll foster for you.

:

01:22:32,779 --> 01:22:36,949

Hey, if you need, if it's a horse case,

I have a horse trailer and a truck.

:

01:22:36,959 --> 01:22:38,809

I'll trailer a mountain

where you need them to go.

:

01:22:39,099 --> 01:22:40,639

Hey, I have three extra stalls.

:

01:22:40,989 --> 01:22:42,309

Hey, I have this to give.

:

01:22:42,659 --> 01:22:45,179

Hey, I don't have anything

to give, but I have time.

:

01:22:45,189 --> 01:22:46,729

Do you need somebody to help feed?

:

01:22:46,729 --> 01:22:50,589

If you get a big case, these, I mean,

these are the relationships that we're

:

01:22:50,589 --> 01:22:54,939

making and it makes everybody be able to

be a, be a part of saving these animals.

:

01:22:55,654 --> 01:22:59,374

DrG: And again, we're, we're doing

it to help the animals and to keep

:

01:22:59,374 --> 01:23:00,724

these animals from being harmed.

:

01:23:00,773 --> 01:23:04,864

And then we're also doing it to save the

community because these people are not

:

01:23:04,874 --> 01:23:08,784

just a hazard to the animals, but they

are a hazard to the community at large.

:

01:23:09,193 --> 01:23:10,244

Kelly Pocock: Oh, very much so.

:

01:23:10,574 --> 01:23:11,304

Very much so.

:

01:23:12,000 --> 01:23:15,400

DrG: Well, thank you so much, Kelly,

for, for giving us your time and to

:

01:23:15,430 --> 01:23:20,180

going through this case and for all the

hard work that, that you've put on this.

:

01:23:21,034 --> 01:23:23,023

To provide more information

about the role of the H.

:

01:23:23,023 --> 01:23:23,184

S.

:

01:23:23,184 --> 01:23:23,354

U.

:

01:23:23,354 --> 01:23:23,544

S.

:

01:23:23,554 --> 01:23:27,193

In this case, we have Laura Koivula from

the Humane Society of the United States.

:

01:23:27,193 --> 01:23:27,693

Welcome, Laura.

:

01:23:27,704 --> 01:23:29,164

Thank you for joining us at the junction.

:

01:23:29,834 --> 01:23:31,434

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Thanks

so much for having me, Dr G.

:

01:23:32,273 --> 01:23:35,514

DrG: So can you start by letting

people know about your role at H.

:

01:23:35,514 --> 01:23:35,684

S.

:

01:23:35,684 --> 01:23:35,834

U.

:

01:23:35,834 --> 01:23:35,954

S.

:

01:23:36,599 --> 01:23:37,059

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah.

:

01:23:37,059 --> 01:23:38,959

So, um, my name is Laura Koivula.

:

01:23:38,959 --> 01:23:42,839

I'm the Director of Animal Crimes

and Investigations for the Humane

:

01:23:42,839 --> 01:23:44,029

Society of the United States.

:

01:23:44,639 --> 01:23:50,309

My role here, I have a team of

several case managers and the Animal

:

01:23:50,309 --> 01:23:53,568

Crimes and Investigations Department

is part of the Animal Rescue Team.

:

01:23:53,579 --> 01:23:54,799

We're one of the branches.

:

01:23:55,284 --> 01:24:00,884

And our role is mainly to work with

law enforcement to provide them with

:

01:24:00,964 --> 01:24:04,614

information that we get from the public

and our own research on investigations

:

01:24:04,614 --> 01:24:08,384

and potential crimes in their area,

but also to provide them guidance and

:

01:24:08,384 --> 01:24:14,814

resources to investigate and prosecute

these kinds of cases, um, all the

:

01:24:14,814 --> 01:24:16,724

way through to physical assistance.

:

01:24:18,148 --> 01:24:21,019

DrG: How do you help with

these animal cruelty cases?

:

01:24:21,019 --> 01:24:22,479

What kind of services do you provide?

:

01:24:23,159 --> 01:24:26,029

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, so we

provide a bunch of different things.

:

01:24:26,039 --> 01:24:29,689

So anything from just

a conversation, right?

:

01:24:29,689 --> 01:24:33,869

So if a law enforcement officer is working

a case and they have some questions

:

01:24:33,869 --> 01:24:38,959

or maybe, you know, they haven't seen

this type of crime before or this

:

01:24:38,969 --> 01:24:44,059

particular species, they can reach out

to our team and one of us will hop on

:

01:24:44,059 --> 01:24:48,169

the phone with them or shoot them an

email and talk about just the facts of

:

01:24:48,169 --> 01:24:53,039

the case in our experience, what steps

we would take, provide some guidance.

:

01:24:53,039 --> 01:24:55,309

If they need any kind of paperwork,

:

01:24:55,349 --> 01:24:59,719

we offer tons and tons of templates, so

if they need a search warrant template

:

01:24:59,729 --> 01:25:04,749

or a warning letter or, um, they have a

species that they've never intaken into

:

01:25:04,749 --> 01:25:09,009

their shelter, we have lots of different

species intake forms that agencies and

:

01:25:09,039 --> 01:25:14,239

officers can put their own agency logo

on and kind of make their own, but we

:

01:25:14,239 --> 01:25:15,879

have templates for all of that stuff.

:

01:25:16,259 --> 01:25:17,329

So we share that.

:

01:25:18,139 --> 01:25:21,259

We also can provide

financial support for cases.

:

01:25:21,639 --> 01:25:27,879

So, from any kind of forensic testing,

necropsies, bone marrow, fat content

:

01:25:27,889 --> 01:25:33,019

testing, species DNA sequencing

for blood types, things like that.

:

01:25:33,429 --> 01:25:37,799

A lot of times, As you obviously

know, law enforcement agencies don't

:

01:25:37,799 --> 01:25:41,459

always have it in their budget for

that kind of testing for these crimes,

:

01:25:41,459 --> 01:25:45,949

especially in places where there

might be, um, no animal control or

:

01:25:45,959 --> 01:25:47,559

humane law enforcement specifically

:

01:25:47,559 --> 01:25:49,289

and it falls to the sheriff's department.

:

01:25:49,509 --> 01:25:53,849

They likely don't have a

budget line for animal crimes,

:

01:25:53,849 --> 01:25:55,898

forensics or animal crimes cases.

:

01:25:55,898 --> 01:25:59,929

And so we're here to help out with that

and mitigate some of that cost if needed.

:

01:26:00,568 --> 01:26:05,469

We also can provide financial

assistance if animals are seized.

:

01:26:05,469 --> 01:26:10,329

So if a law enforcement agency has to

seize or intake animals and it's, maybe

:

01:26:10,329 --> 01:26:14,639

more than they're used to where they

don't have the space and they need say,

:

01:26:14,689 --> 01:26:18,369

maybe they're taking in some miniature

pigs and they've never done that before.

:

01:26:18,369 --> 01:26:20,269

So they don't have miniature pig food.

:

01:26:20,629 --> 01:26:24,189

Um, we can help them by purchasing

that, having it sent to the shelter.

:

01:26:24,609 --> 01:26:28,839

If they need help maybe housing some

extra dogs and an open space they

:

01:26:28,839 --> 01:26:30,329

have, and they need kennel panels.

:

01:26:30,339 --> 01:26:31,769

Sometimes we can help with that.

:

01:26:32,389 --> 01:26:37,199

Um, all the way up to, um,

what we call a full deployment.

:

01:26:38,129 --> 01:26:41,818

And a full deployment is usually

when there's a large scale case so

:

01:26:41,859 --> 01:26:46,729

a lot, a high number of animals that

need to be seized, and the need for

:

01:26:46,729 --> 01:26:51,639

resources outstrips the resources in

the local area so if it's a large case

:

01:26:51,648 --> 01:26:58,534

where law enforcement, local animal

services or humane agencies don't have

:

01:26:58,554 --> 01:27:04,044

the space, the staff, the money, the

resources to do a seizure of that level,

:

01:27:04,454 --> 01:27:08,154

our team will actually, depending

on a number of factors, but our team

:

01:27:08,154 --> 01:27:13,484

can actually come out, assist on the

warrant with documentation, handling,

:

01:27:13,799 --> 01:27:18,909

removal of the animals, transport, care,

housing, and placement, and those are,

:

01:27:18,929 --> 01:27:24,089

are, those cases are, are few and far

between in terms of we do a lot more

:

01:27:24,499 --> 01:27:28,599

assistance like we did in this case,

for Sandusky, we do that all the time,

:

01:27:28,599 --> 01:27:31,549

but every once in a while, you know,

there's a really big case where we're

:

01:27:31,549 --> 01:27:33,299

needed to go out physically and help.

:

01:27:33,349 --> 01:27:35,699

And yeah, that's kind of the range.

:

01:27:35,699 --> 01:27:38,089

We also have a couple rewards programs.

:

01:27:38,529 --> 01:27:42,979

So, one is for egregious cruelty,

like was in this particular case.

:

01:27:43,369 --> 01:27:47,019

We have a standing reward also

for information leading to arrest

:

01:27:47,019 --> 01:27:49,729

and conviction of, of animal

fighters for animal fighting.

:

01:27:50,269 --> 01:27:54,754

And then we also have, there's a third

reward program that's a standing reward

:

01:27:54,834 --> 01:28:00,654

for information leading to the arrest

and conviction of, uh, commercial

:

01:28:00,684 --> 01:28:03,384

animal breeders for neglect or abuse.

:

01:28:04,416 --> 01:28:05,857

DrG: How did you get

involved in this case?

:

01:28:05,857 --> 01:28:07,087

How did Kelly reach out to you?

:

01:28:07,827 --> 01:28:09,277

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah,

so Kelly and I have worked

:

01:28:09,277 --> 01:28:11,977

together before on another case.

:

01:28:11,977 --> 01:28:13,447

And so she, she had my phone number.

:

01:28:13,447 --> 01:28:14,537

She reached out to me.

:

01:28:14,867 --> 01:28:16,647

My team also does a lot of teaching.

:

01:28:16,677 --> 01:28:20,177

So we teach for the law enforcement

training center here and pass out

:

01:28:20,197 --> 01:28:22,087

tons and tons of cards all year.

:

01:28:22,087 --> 01:28:24,727

So officers sometimes just

reach out on our phone.

:

01:28:25,257 --> 01:28:29,307

So Kelly gave me a call and she told

me about this, this really egregious

:

01:28:29,307 --> 01:28:34,007

case they had, um, just to see,

you know, what it was that we could

:

01:28:34,007 --> 01:28:35,427

potentially help them with here.

:

01:28:36,090 --> 01:28:38,790

DrG: And at the time that she

contacted you, it was really

:

01:28:38,790 --> 01:28:39,690

early in the case, right?

:

01:28:39,690 --> 01:28:43,510

It was like before they knew much

other than just they had a dead dog.

:

01:28:44,160 --> 01:28:45,330

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, exactly.

:

01:28:45,330 --> 01:28:50,530

They had just, um, I believe it was,

you know, the day either that same day

:

01:28:50,530 --> 01:28:55,715

they found the dog or it was the next

day when she got the case from, um, the

:

01:28:55,725 --> 01:29:01,075

officers had gone out, found the body,

they, um, really just had photos of the

:

01:29:01,075 --> 01:29:04,575

scene, they didn't know anything yet,

and so she reached out at that point.

:

01:29:05,215 --> 01:29:08,515

DrG: And then, I know that, you

reached out to me to help them as far

:

01:29:08,515 --> 01:29:12,495

as with the blood spatter evidence,

but then you also helped them secure

:

01:29:12,605 --> 01:29:16,965

a necropsy, or dog autopsy, from an

actual pathologist at Ohio State.

:

01:29:17,790 --> 01:29:18,780

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, correct.

:

01:29:18,780 --> 01:29:22,800

So, you know, when I talked to

her about the case, she, she knew

:

01:29:22,809 --> 01:29:25,090

that, that, that was one of the

things they were going to need.

:

01:29:25,090 --> 01:29:28,910

So, one of the first things I asked

her was if they had preserved the

:

01:29:28,910 --> 01:29:32,630

body and if they were going to

be taking it for necropsy and if

:

01:29:32,630 --> 01:29:34,040

they needed any help with that.

:

01:29:34,410 --> 01:29:36,170

Um, and, and they did.

:

01:29:36,200 --> 01:29:42,720

So, yeah, we gave them the finances to be

able to take that dog to OSU for necropsy.

:

01:29:43,905 --> 01:29:46,235

DrG: And that was really important

because, I mean, this, as she

:

01:29:46,235 --> 01:29:47,815

describes, it was a puzzle.

:

01:29:47,945 --> 01:29:51,585

And all of these things, parts of

the puzzle is what came together

:

01:29:51,605 --> 01:29:52,795

to put everything together.

:

01:29:52,945 --> 01:29:56,755

The interrogation, the investigation,

she took great pictures of the scene.

:

01:29:57,035 --> 01:30:01,745

So then the, the forensic side of it

and the pathology, everything came

:

01:30:01,745 --> 01:30:04,175

together to show that the story that Mr.

:

01:30:04,175 --> 01:30:07,095

Gilleland was saying was not what

actually happened to the dog,

:

01:30:07,125 --> 01:30:09,684

and it was really a

much more brutal scene.

:

01:30:10,434 --> 01:30:11,364

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, exactly.

:

01:30:11,364 --> 01:30:15,584

And without each one of those

pieces, it's possible and even

:

01:30:15,584 --> 01:30:18,273

likely that they wouldn't have

been able to make the case, right?

:

01:30:18,284 --> 01:30:22,943

So yeah, the photographs were really

essential, because it showed all

:

01:30:22,943 --> 01:30:26,254

of the evidence, all of the blood

evidence that you helped analyze all

:

01:30:26,254 --> 01:30:30,364

of the, um, you know, the positioning

of the body and where it was found

:

01:30:30,394 --> 01:30:34,554

and, um, the conditions, but then

also the blood trail that led to it.

:

01:30:34,554 --> 01:30:34,564

Yeah.

:

01:30:34,704 --> 01:30:38,754

You know, from the location where the

incident happened to where the body was.

:

01:30:39,234 --> 01:30:41,104

So all of that is really important.

:

01:30:41,384 --> 01:30:44,924

Plus, without the necropsy, you don't

have a definitive cause of death.

:

01:30:44,954 --> 01:30:47,854

You know, you need those things for court.

:

01:30:48,204 --> 01:30:53,799

You know, one can look at the scene,

right, and hypothesize what happened,

:

01:30:53,799 --> 01:30:57,955

but we really need all of those pieces

to prove that in a court of law.

:

01:30:57,985 --> 01:31:01,425

And so, yeah, she took all of the

right steps and each piece was was

:

01:31:01,425 --> 01:31:03,335

important in making this happen.

:

01:31:04,195 --> 01:31:08,184

DrG: Yeah, I told her that humane officers

like her make my life easy, right?

:

01:31:08,184 --> 01:31:13,005

Yes, I get so many people that will come

to me and say, we need help with this

:

01:31:13,005 --> 01:31:16,885

case and there's not good pictures or

they're blurry or they're incomplete.

:

01:31:17,250 --> 01:31:18,830

Or, you know, there is no necropsy.

:

01:31:18,830 --> 01:31:20,610

They'll ask me, what do you

think happened to this dog?

:

01:31:20,610 --> 01:31:21,540

Well, where's the dog?

:

01:31:21,570 --> 01:31:22,910

Well, it's already been cremated.

:

01:31:22,950 --> 01:31:27,050

Well, there's nothing I can do about

it, but she she took every step.

:

01:31:27,050 --> 01:31:32,800

So she's a huge part of why, you know,

this case got solved So I I think that

:

01:31:32,830 --> 01:31:37,130

a lot of humane officers need to take

note of everything that she did because

:

01:31:37,130 --> 01:31:41,010

she did an amazing job with this From

your side, what is the importance

:

01:31:41,010 --> 01:31:44,250

of providing assistance to these

organizations that have low resources,

:

01:31:44,250 --> 01:31:46,100

like rural communities like Sandusky?

:

01:31:46,770 --> 01:31:49,410

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, well, I

mean, like you just said, without

:

01:31:49,420 --> 01:31:53,880

each piece of this, um, the case

probably wouldn't have been successful.

:

01:31:54,070 --> 01:31:58,110

The individual wouldn't have been

found, potentially, or prosecuted, put

:

01:31:58,130 --> 01:32:03,020

on the radar for law enforcement and

other social agencies in the area.

:

01:32:03,059 --> 01:32:06,660

This is a big red flag for human violence.

:

01:32:06,670 --> 01:32:11,820

We know now, you know, after decades of

research that violence towards animals,

:

01:32:12,080 --> 01:32:18,540

especially this degree of, this was an

extremely violent, um, you know, crime.

:

01:32:18,540 --> 01:32:22,830

And so this degree of violence

really, what the research shows

:

01:32:22,830 --> 01:32:27,535

us, right, is that this individual

is much more likely than you or I

:

01:32:27,555 --> 01:32:29,305

to commit violence against people.

:

01:32:29,645 --> 01:32:33,895

Um, so it's really important, you know,

even if not for the dog, you know,

:

01:32:33,895 --> 01:32:39,035

of course we all want justice for the

animal, but also for the community, um,

:

01:32:39,055 --> 01:32:43,505

in terms of keeping the community safe

and, you know, preventing future crimes

:

01:32:43,505 --> 01:32:45,745

against, against people from happening.

:

01:32:46,265 --> 01:32:49,279

DrG: Yeah, I think he was still

on probation from, uh, seven

:

01:32:49,279 --> 01:32:51,889

year prison sentence for assault.

:

01:32:52,259 --> 01:32:54,398

For a very vicious

assault on an individual.

:

01:32:54,719 --> 01:32:58,769

So, clearly, there is a link as far as

somebody that's going to commit violence

:

01:32:58,769 --> 01:33:01,779

on a human is going to commit animal

assault on an animal and vice versa.

:

01:33:02,159 --> 01:33:06,609

So, you know, a lot of concerns as far as

having somebody like this not be caught.

:

01:33:07,639 --> 01:33:09,989

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Right, and

like you said, you know, um,

:

01:33:10,068 --> 01:33:14,179

Kelly did everything right here,

which was essential to the case.

:

01:33:14,589 --> 01:33:18,309

But in so many jurisdictions that

may not have the resources, they

:

01:33:18,309 --> 01:33:23,084

might think, Oh, well, we don't have

the ability to send the animal for

:

01:33:23,084 --> 01:33:25,474

necropsy, so why take the photos, right?

:

01:33:25,523 --> 01:33:28,734

Or why, you know, why

do the investigation?

:

01:33:29,064 --> 01:33:33,134

Um, and, you know, that's why our team

is here because it is so important

:

01:33:33,164 --> 01:33:36,604

and law enforcement, humane law

enforcement really needs that support

:

01:33:36,604 --> 01:33:40,924

because their job is so, so important

in keeping the community safe.

:

01:33:41,474 --> 01:33:46,264

And, we just want to make sure

that if they're able to do their

:

01:33:46,264 --> 01:33:49,304

best investigation, we're able

to help them with the pieces.

:

01:33:49,354 --> 01:33:52,943

Um, you know, the other pieces

to make, uh, make a difference.

:

01:33:53,574 --> 01:33:56,804

DrG: One of the things that you brought

up is about how you guys help with rewards

:

01:33:56,844 --> 01:33:58,534

and you did help with a reward on this.

:

01:33:58,534 --> 01:34:01,914

But then Kelly mentioned that pretty

much everybody that called nobody

:

01:34:01,914 --> 01:34:06,554

actually wanted the reward and just

wanted the, the animal to have justice.

:

01:34:06,564 --> 01:34:07,734

So are your thoughts on that?

:

01:34:08,124 --> 01:34:10,134

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, you

know, that's so interesting.

:

01:34:10,214 --> 01:34:14,704

The so yeah, in this, the first

thing actually that Kelly and I did

:

01:34:14,704 --> 01:34:19,353

together was to get that reward going

because they didn't have any leads.

:

01:34:19,353 --> 01:34:21,334

This was obviously a really violent crime.

:

01:34:21,984 --> 01:34:23,943

We knew we, you know,

they needed the necropsy.

:

01:34:23,954 --> 01:34:25,424

So we offered that.

:

01:34:25,424 --> 01:34:29,594

But the first thing we did was work to

get the reward out because, you know,

:

01:34:29,594 --> 01:34:33,094

the faster that happens, the more,

you know, closer to the incident is

:

01:34:33,094 --> 01:34:36,994

the more likely you are to get good

actionable information from the public.

:

01:34:37,054 --> 01:34:39,234

Um, so we worked together.

:

01:34:39,234 --> 01:34:43,834

She gave me a short synopsis of what

happened that they were comfortable

:

01:34:43,834 --> 01:34:46,994

releasing, you know, the details that they

were comfortable releasing to the public.

:

01:34:47,454 --> 01:34:52,564

And we had our communications team

push it out to local media sources.

:

01:34:53,404 --> 01:34:57,244

And so, yeah, you know, it's

interesting, and there are statistics

:

01:34:57,273 --> 01:35:01,234

around like the amount of the

reward doesn't necessarily matter.

:

01:35:01,294 --> 01:35:01,594

Right.

:

01:35:01,594 --> 01:35:06,353

So we know that the amount of money

or increasing, adding to the reward

:

01:35:06,364 --> 01:35:11,193

doesn't necessarily increase the number

of tips, but what it does do, right,

:

01:35:11,214 --> 01:35:15,443

is like this press release goes out

and the news, um, agencies pick it up.

:

01:35:15,474 --> 01:35:18,184

And so it's on, you know, the

local news or the nightly news.

:

01:35:18,534 --> 01:35:22,443

And then people might not want the

reward money, but they see, they see it.

:

01:35:22,844 --> 01:35:23,084

Right.

:

01:35:23,084 --> 01:35:25,853

So they see the incident, they see

that law enforcement is looking for

:

01:35:25,853 --> 01:35:27,764

help trying to identify this person.

:

01:35:28,084 --> 01:35:32,834

And maybe, somebody that sees that,

uh, reward press release recognizes the

:

01:35:32,834 --> 01:35:37,414

dog and says, oh gosh, you know, I, my

neighbor, you know, this dog belonged

:

01:35:37,414 --> 01:35:41,304

to my neighbor or, I've seen this

dog in this yard before this address.

:

01:35:41,304 --> 01:35:46,144

So yeah, you know, even if the

money is not the thing that

:

01:35:46,144 --> 01:35:47,353

makes someone come forward.

:

01:35:47,364 --> 01:35:50,984

It's really helpful in terms of

getting the information out there.

:

01:35:50,984 --> 01:35:54,484

So, that's definitely a plus,

but it is interesting, right?

:

01:35:54,504 --> 01:35:59,434

That gives me some hope for humanity

that the altruistic part of people is

:

01:35:59,434 --> 01:36:00,994

what they, you know, they just want

:

01:36:01,204 --> 01:36:02,964

to do what's right, which is awesome.

:

01:36:03,727 --> 01:36:08,307

DrG: In this case, uh, one of the things

that I found was good is that he was

:

01:36:08,327 --> 01:36:09,897

charged with felony animal cruelty.

:

01:36:09,897 --> 01:36:12,407

So many of these cases are

treated as misdemeanors.

:

01:36:12,697 --> 01:36:15,857

And some, some jurisdictions

will do that because it's easier.

:

01:36:15,857 --> 01:36:19,077

Some jurisdictions will do that because

it's the only way that they can do it.

:

01:36:19,307 --> 01:36:22,947

But then with misdemeanors, those

are crimes that can be removed from

:

01:36:22,947 --> 01:36:24,907

the record, whereas a felony cannot.

:

01:36:25,427 --> 01:36:30,037

So, uh, here in Ohio, based on the

Ohio law, the most that somebody can

:

01:36:30,037 --> 01:36:33,767

get for this type of felony cruelty

to animals is three to twelve months.

:

01:36:34,127 --> 01:36:34,527

And Mr.

:

01:36:34,527 --> 01:36:37,887

Gilleland was sentenced to three

months in prison and then three years

:

01:36:37,916 --> 01:36:42,377

probation with no ability to have

or harbor or live around animals.

:

01:36:42,387 --> 01:36:44,657

So what, what are your thoughts

as far as the sentence?

:

01:36:46,097 --> 01:36:50,907

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah, I've I've

been doing this work, , for, not for a

:

01:36:50,907 --> 01:36:55,937

super long time, you know, but, for,

, over, over a decade, and, um, prison

:

01:36:55,937 --> 01:36:59,707

sentences are actually relatively new.

:

01:36:59,777 --> 01:37:03,297

So, you know, when I first started

doing this work, no one was ever

:

01:37:03,297 --> 01:37:05,847

sent to jail for animal crimes.

:

01:37:05,877 --> 01:37:13,197

And so, I do think that this is a super

light sentence for the egregiousness

:

01:37:13,207 --> 01:37:14,427

of the crime that was committed.

:

01:37:14,437 --> 01:37:21,740

This dog was murdered really brutally,

you know, and I think three months is

:

01:37:21,740 --> 01:37:25,990

not much, but what bothers me more than

the prison sentence, because the actual

:

01:37:26,000 --> 01:37:31,110

prison sentence, I don't think, you know,

three months versus twelve months, right?

:

01:37:31,110 --> 01:37:33,990

Like, I'm, I'm not sure that

there's a huge difference there,

:

01:37:34,460 --> 01:37:39,590

but what really bothers me in this

particular case is that the ban on

:

01:37:39,600 --> 01:37:41,900

contact with animals is not longer.

:

01:37:42,594 --> 01:37:47,514

Because we know, right, that, uh,

ban on contact with animals and

:

01:37:47,514 --> 01:37:52,184

supervised probation where they

have unannounced inspections so law

:

01:37:52,184 --> 01:37:55,085

enforcement can verify that there's

no animals in their possession.

:

01:37:55,135 --> 01:37:59,225

That's what really makes a difference

in terms of recidivism or in terms

:

01:37:59,225 --> 01:38:03,855

of the person re offending in this

way again, or having the ability to

:

01:38:03,875 --> 01:38:05,475

cause suffering in another animal.

:

01:38:05,785 --> 01:38:11,135

And so, whether or not someone

goes to prison, I, I would

:

01:38:11,135 --> 01:38:14,835

prefer to see the longest ban on

contact with animals possible.

:

01:38:15,155 --> 01:38:18,615

Um, some states you can do a lifetime

ban and some states, you know, it's

:

01:38:18,625 --> 01:38:22,885

only the amount of the probation,

but, you know, uh, we always recommend

:

01:38:22,895 --> 01:38:26,885

that, that the prosecutors seek that

longest probationary period with,

:

01:38:27,014 --> 01:38:30,915

you know, unannounced inspections

that they can, and then they seek the

:

01:38:30,915 --> 01:38:34,655

longest ban on ownership and contact

with animals that they can as well.

:

01:38:35,232 --> 01:38:38,642

DrG: Yeah, I think that, that would, uh,

I would have preferred even up to five

:

01:38:38,642 --> 01:38:43,272

years, which is I mean, I see five years

probation with no animal ownership on

:

01:38:43,272 --> 01:38:47,782

cases of animal hoarding people that that

were neglecting their animals, but they

:

01:38:47,782 --> 01:38:52,482

had every good intention and then you have

somebody that actually acted purposefully.

:

01:38:52,791 --> 01:38:55,642

Because one of the one of the things

about this case is not just the

:

01:38:55,642 --> 01:39:00,422

fact that he killed the dog, but the

fact that it was so premeditated.

:

01:39:00,462 --> 01:39:02,482

He took the dog all the way from the home.

:

01:39:02,722 --> 01:39:05,492

He took it down to this

trail and then he killed it.

:

01:39:05,871 --> 01:39:08,852

So it wasn't an act, you know, like

we would think an act of passion or

:

01:39:08,852 --> 01:39:12,002

a heat of the moment, like the dog

did something right now and then I

:

01:39:12,041 --> 01:39:14,062

acted and then that was really stupid.

:

01:39:14,082 --> 01:39:17,182

No, he thought about what he was doing

and he knew what he was going to do.

:

01:39:17,602 --> 01:39:22,472

So, you know, hopefully, based on this

case, other cases can be prosecuted

:

01:39:22,472 --> 01:39:27,202

and people can start, especially like

judges and prosecutors can understand

:

01:39:27,702 --> 01:39:32,532

the link and the importance of, of

not just prison sentences that are

:

01:39:32,532 --> 01:39:37,332

longer, but also rehabilitation

efforts just to try to prevent these

:

01:39:37,332 --> 01:39:39,802

people from, from doing this again.

:

01:39:40,371 --> 01:39:41,102

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Exactly.

:

01:39:41,302 --> 01:39:41,732

Yeah.

:

01:39:42,662 --> 01:39:46,092

DrG: If a humane organization or

law enforcement wants to obtain more

:

01:39:46,092 --> 01:39:48,982

information about how you can help

them, how can they go about that?

:

01:39:49,912 --> 01:39:51,902

Laura Koivula, HSUS: Yeah,

so you can reach out to the

:

01:39:51,902 --> 01:39:56,852

animal crimes team directly at

animalcruelty@humanesociety.org.

:

01:39:56,871 --> 01:39:58,692

So that's one of our email addresses.

:

01:39:58,702 --> 01:40:02,402

We also have

animalfighting@humanesociety.org.

:

01:40:02,422 --> 01:40:06,512

So if law enforcement shoots us an

email there, somebody from our team

:

01:40:06,512 --> 01:40:11,582

is always watching that email address

and, uh, responding to and kind

:

01:40:11,582 --> 01:40:12,842

of filtering through those emails.

:

01:40:12,862 --> 01:40:15,452

So if they reach out to us that

way, that's usually the fastest

:

01:40:15,452 --> 01:40:16,362

response that they'll get.

:

01:40:17,416 --> 01:40:17,916

DrG: Fantastic.

:

01:40:17,916 --> 01:40:21,137

Well, thank you so much, Laura,

for giving us this information

:

01:40:21,137 --> 01:40:22,416

and for sharing what you did.

:

01:40:22,447 --> 01:40:26,177

And then also thank you so much for

helping in this case, because without

:

01:40:26,177 --> 01:40:28,097

you, this guy may still be loose.

:

01:40:28,987 --> 01:40:30,087

Laura Koivula, HSUS:

Thank you so much, Dr.

:

01:40:30,087 --> 01:40:30,287

G.

:

01:40:30,287 --> 01:40:30,857

I appreciate it.

:

01:40:31,916 --> 01:40:34,737

DrG: And to everybody who

is listening, thanks for

:

01:40:34,737 --> 01:40:36,387

listening and thanks for caring.

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About the Podcast

The Animal Welfare Junction
Veterinary Forensics
The Animal Welfare Junction is a podcast developed to bring awareness to different topics in animal welfare. The host, Michelle Gonzalez (Dr. G) is a veterinarian who provides affordable veterinary care in the State of Ohio, and also a Forensic Veterinarian helping with the investigation and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.
The topics presented are based on the experiences of Dr. G and our guests and include discussions about real cases, humane projects, and legal issues that affect animals and the community. Due to the nature of the discussion, listener discretion is advised as some topics may be too strong for some listeners.

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Alba Gonzalez

Michelle González (DrG) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her passion growing up was to become a veterinarian. She obtained a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University, followed by a 1-yr Internship in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2006 she founded the Rascal Unit, a mobile clinic offering accesible and affordable sterilization, and wellness services throughout the State of Ohio.
Dr. G is involved in many aspects of companion veterinary medicine including education, shelter assistance and help to animals that are victims of cruelty and neglect.
DrG completed a Master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida Forensic Science program. She assists Humane organizations and animal control officers in the investigation, evaluation, and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.