Hoax: Man who claimed he found dog with throat slit and mouth taped shut made up the story

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News

The hunt for a sicko who slit a dog’s throat and duct-taped her mouth shut has apparently ended – with her owner.

The plight of Dani, the wounded dog ostensibly found at a roadside, captured the hearts of thousands after a Facebook post from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio publicized her case Sunday.

But in a plot twist that earned as much online ire as the initial alleged animal cruelty, the sheriff’s office updated its information on Dani with the outcome of its investigation.

As it turned out, the perp was the owner who made up the story because he could not afford the veterinary bills.

The dog had cut herself accidentally on a barbed-wire fence and the duct tape was to stop the pooch from chewing up items in his home, and acting aggressively toward other dogs living there, the owner told police.

After cops received several leads about the dog named Dani, the plot thickened as the story got thinner.

“It was determined the subject that initially reported finding Dani and taking her to the Twin Maple Veterinarian Clinic was the actual owner of the canine,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “Upon interviewing the owner it was relayed to our detectives that the canine had cut its throat on a barbed wire fence and they could not afford the veterinarian bills, so they concocted a story to get the canine help for free.”

Moreover, her mouth had never been duct-taped, the owner told police.

“The snout/mouth area that appeared to be injured was due to the owners keeping the canine muzzled for several hours a day due to it chewing up items in their residence and being aggressive towards their other canine,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that a veterinarian had “determined that the neck injury to Dani was not intentional and the duct tape was a story made up by the dog owner to get Dani free care.”

Not only that, but the incident hadn’t even occurred in Butler County, the sheriff’s office said. It happened in neighboring Warren County, according to the local Journal-News.

“But we will make a joint effort to work with the adjacent jurisdiction to ensure this case is dealt with appropriately,” Sheriff Richard Jones said in the department’s statement. It was not clear whether charges would be filed.

For some, the real story was no more palatable to internet denizens than the original fake version, according to their comments. Many said that regardless of the actual story, it was obvious from photos that she wasn’t well taken care of.

But many sympathized with the owner’s “desperate” attempt to get care for the dog after it was injured.

“While it is bad that the owners lied, I am relieved that the injury was not inflicted deliberately,” said one commenter. “It is also a sad commentary of how veterinarian care has become an unaffordable luxury over the years. We are on our last elderly cat and have to accept the fact that we can no longer afford to own any more pets.”

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