Andrea Rosebrock 
A Springfield, MO family wants to know what happened to their dog but police say they may never know. The family went out to run an errand and when their returned to feed their two Great Danes, Athena and Chaos, Athena didn’t show up.
When 18-year-old Sherrie Thompson went to look for Athena, what she found from far from what she ever expected, Athena, skinned and mutilated.
“Her ribs were out and she had no heart.” Thompson said, “It looked like the ribs had been sawed off with an electric saw.”
The family believes someone did this to their dog and they want the person found.
The police, on the other hand, have no evidence that a crime was committed aside from the fact that the dog was skinned.
Springfield Police Officer Grant Story said, “The officer advised the family to take the dog to a vet to see if the animal had been attacked by another dog or likely by a human.”
On follow-up, the police now say they may never know the exact cause of the dog’s death. They didn’t take it to a vet because they say the dog was in such bad condition that a veterinarian could not determine how the animal died.
They also do not have the advanced forensic technology to determine if the dog was alive when it was skinned.
So unless someone comes forward they do not have enough evidence that a crime was committed so they will not be following up.
I would find this extremely disturbing to know that something as horrific as this could happen to a dog in an enclosed yard and no one cared enough to follow up. If it was done by an animal, as terrible as that it, it should be determined. If a person did this, then they definitely need to investigate and do everything they can to find out who.
The pictures are very graphic so I only post the one very small above but I did look at them, hard as it was. Now I live in WI and at this time of the year, although it is something I really hate to see, seeing skinned deer is not uncommon. To me, this is what it looked like. I don’t mean to be overly descriptive but aside from the skin being removed and heart missing, the body was intact. In other words, it doesn’t look like the dog had been preyed upon.
Does that mean an animal could not have done this? Not a clue. I am certainly not in any position to judge but I would certainly want to find out. If it was a person, they are scary, sick and dangerous. I’m appalled that the police could be so blase’ about this. Someone really needs to do something here!
I cannot believe they did not send the remains to a lab for a necropsy. It should be relatively easy for a trained forensic doctor to give some answers, answers that I believe should not go unanswered. Do people need to worry about a prey animal roaming and killing pets or a very cruel and sick person? A Great Dane is not a small or passive dog, it would take a serious aggressor to do this… and leave no evidence behind? How will anyone be able to sleep at night not knowing? I sure wouldn’t!
Skinned Dog – *no graphic images on the video*
Follow-up to story on skinned dog
OMG!!!I can’t believe this!!Any of it!!WTF!!!Whether it was an animal(?),or some sick SOB…Somebody needs to find out!!At least TRY to find out!!…”The officer advised them to take the dog to a vet to determine if it was attacked by another dog,or a human”…What??Another dog??Oh come on!!And Oh sure…Let’s just scoop up our beloved,skinned,mutilated Athena, and make a trip to the vet….Of all the heartless things to ask of an already devastated family!!!Is that normal??Somebody(Or some “thing”..yea, right) tortures my dog to death(God help them)and it’s my responsibility to try and find out if a crime was committed by a human??I mean, I would certainly be doing my own investigation…but why are the police released from any responsibility??..What??There’s no doubt about it…I’m cracking up I guess….That makes no sense to me..
I can’t believe the indifference toward this horrible act..If this is the kind of “help” you can expect from the police there…I’d be getting the hell out of town….I’m sick to my stomach now…
@Kerry – Have to admit this is pretty much what went through my mind… I was totally stunned. But then you alway put things so much more eloquently than I could. Glad to know that I am not alone in thinking that there is a serious problem with this situation.
D.
If this was a human they’d soon know the difference between whether this animal was skinned by a blade or an animal’s teeth. They’d know whether her heart was ripped out or excised, and whether her ribs were sawed out using a tool.
They’d soon know what killed her and whether she was alive or dead when the various nutilations took place.
The police are as guilty as the perpertrator – and just as sick – if they consider this incident worth anything less than the most robust and urgent investigation.
AN ANIMAL MY A.. THIS WAS DONE BY SOME SICKO. JUST LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE, SKINNED WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL COULD SKIN A DOG,CUT IT’S RIBS & REMOVE IT HEART? ANIMALS DON’T HAVE HANDS TO DO ANY OF THESE THINGS PEOPLE. THIS WAS DONE AS SOME KIND OF SICK SATANIC RITUAL AS IT HAS TO BE WHY ELSE WOULD THEY WANT JUST THE HEART. SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHO DID THIS AS NEXT TIME IT MIGHT BE A CHILD.
no animal did this…a sick human did..and if the dumb cops dont think so…they dont need to be in law enforcement..what idiots!
a very sick individuel did this without doubt and i dont need to see anything to know this…lazy ass cops is all is is that dont want to be bothered with “a dog”..well next time it mite be a child..and maybe one of their own,,…think maybe then they would investigate it then?????
There is still time for the cops to wise up in this matter and do their job properly. Even when her poor little body is in an advanced state of decomposition there will still be a wealth of forensic evidence.
Otherwise, this budding serial killer is going to surface again and it will be a woman or child that is found skinned and mutilated…and we will all recognise the modus operandi and these cops will have no defense.
Sick humans once again…. just to sick for words to beput down ….sick
Horror!
i’m glad everyone here agree with me, of course there is more to do for finding the responsable of this cruel act of violence… poor thing it didn’t deserve to die this way but i hope that now rests in peace (:
Just when you think it can’t get any worse….this!
Sickening, no other word.
Let’s hope whoever is responsible get’s their comeuppance one way or another.
I can’t believe that someone could do that to a precious dog. And for the cops to say that there is no crime is hanious. I pray for the family, and hope that they find out who did this to them. I live in Conway, MO, so Im not far from them. My heart goes out to you.