North Strabane man accused of bludgeoning dogs with hammer
One dog killed, other wandered to neighbor’s house and received medical treatment
A North Strabane man is accused of bludgeoning two dogs with a hammer – killing one and severely injuring the other – before discarding them in the trash.
Daniel Bruce McCullough, 73, was charged Wednesday by North Strabane police with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals for allegedly striking the two dogs in the head with the ball-peen hammer earlier this month.
Police said Carol Shrader, who lives with McCullough at the Carol Avenue residence, contacted authorities after two of her four dogs, Rawhide and Tiny, went missing. She told police when she could not find the animals, McCullough told her he had killed the dogs since the mobile home park where they resided only allowed two pets per family, according to court documents.
McCullough allegedly told investigators he took Rawhide and Tiny out to the home’s front porch in the early hours of Sept. 5 and struck both of them in the head with a hammer, police said.
“Believing they were dead, he placed their bodies in a box and disposed of them with the household trash, which had since been collected,” police wrote in court documents.
While Rawhide died from the attack, Tiny apparently was able to get out of the box and wandered to a neighbor’s property, police said. The neighbor took Tiny to get treatment and began caring for the dog. Shrader learned Tiny was still alive a few days later and she “observed a large bump on the dog’s head,” prompting her to call police.
When interviewed by police, McCullough told them Rawhide was 8 years old and had hip dysplasia, while Tiny was about 4 but had no “significant medical issues,” according to court documents. He allegedly told police he discarded the two dogs because the mobile home park where they lived had recently implemented a “two-dog rule” for each residence.
Washington Area Humane Society Executive Director Kelly Proudfit said the three dogs are being cared for, either through foster families or at the shelter.
“They’re all safe,” she said. “We’re making esure they’re in a safe place.”
Charges were filed Wednesday at District Judge James Saieva’s office, and McCullough’s preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 28 at 9 a.m.