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Case #14764 Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Dog beaten with hammer, buried alive
Forest Grove, OR (US)Incident Date: Friday, Oct 24, 2008
County: Washington
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Hyrum Long
» Susan Johnson
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
A father and daughter from Forest Grove are facing possible animal abuse charges after police say the two tried to euthanize a dog by hitting it on the head with a hammer then burying it up to its neck in their back yard.
Captain Aaron Ashbaugh with the Forest Grove Police Department said someone called dispatch to report a dog buried alive at a house on Laurel St in Forest Grove around 4:00 p.m. Friday.
When officers arrived they heard a dog yelping in the back yard. No one was home at the house, according to police.
Captain Ashbaugh said the officers entered the back yard and found a dog buried up to its neck with an obvious head injury.
Officers dug the still-alive dog out of the ground and, with the help of Washington County Animal Control, the dog was taken to the Humane Society.
Ashbaugh said the dog's owners, 75-year-old Hyrum Long and 49-year-old Susan Johnson, told police that the dog had been sick so they tried to euthanize it by hitting it on the head with a hammer.
That didn't work so, according to Captain Ashbaugh, the owners said they buried the dog in a hole "in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of blood on their property."
Police said the two put a pillow under the buried dog's head and put a large log on top of it. A neighbor apparently removed that log before police arrived.
The dog, a female named Molly, was taken to the Humane Society in Portland. Spokesperson Barbara Baugnon said the animal was in extreme pain and in terrible condition when it arrived.
Baugnon said, "after X-rays and blood work they decided the only humane thing to do was to euthanize the dog." She could not comment on whether or not the dog had been sick before coming in.
The owners told KGW the dog was a beloved family pet that had been sick for weeks and they couldn't stand to see it continue to suffer. They said they did not have a gun or the money to put the dog down, so they decided to euthanize the animal by hitting it in the head with a hammer.
Long said he thought the dog was dead after he hit it with the hammer.
The two told KGW they were so distraught after the experience they left the dog in the ground and went out to dinner.
Case UpdatesA 75-year-old Forest Grove man who buried his daughter's dog alive in the backyard last fall was sentenced to 120 days in jail Tuesday.
Hyrum Long was convicted of misdemeanor animal abuse of the 14-year-old yellow Labrador named Molly.
Police have said the dog was suffering from starvation, had sores from lying down for long periods and was infested with fleas prior to Long hitting it in the head with a hammer and burying it last October.
Long has said he was trying to put the dog out of its misery, and that he thought he had killed it.
Neighbors said they heard the dog crying for help and discovered it still alive. The dog was later euthanized at the Oregon Humane Society.
Long said his daughter could not afford to have the canine euthanized.
Before his sentencing in Washington County court on Tuesday, Long continued to defend his actions, telling KATU he didn't want to see the dog starve. But he agreed the way he tried to kill the canine was wrong and that he should have brought her to the pound.
"Oh sure, I done something wrong, yes," he said.
He also said he hoped the judge would be lenient and not send him to jail. He said he and his wife aren't well, and he needs to be home with her.
But Judge Rick Knapp showed little sympathy, calling what Long did to Molly "monstrous" and "barbaric."
The judge added that it was appalling that Long would go out to eat dinner after burying Molly. He could have spent that money to treat the dog's longterm illnesses or to help pay to put her down, Knapp said.
Long was also sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
Long's daughter, Susan Johnson, who is the dog's registered owner, has already served three months in jail in connection to the case. | Source: KATU - Feb 4, 2009
Update posted on Feb 4, 2009 - 11:54PM |
A woman under investigation for involvement in a failed attempt to euthanize a dog with a hammer pleaded not guilty in court this week to animal neglect charges.
Hyrum Long, 75, and his daughter, 49-year-old Susan Johnson, were arrested last week by Forest Grove Police. Long was charged with felony aggravated animal abuse in the first degree. Johnson was charged with animal neglect in the first degree, a misdemeanor.
Forest Grove Police were called to a report of a dog buried alive at a house on Laurel Street last week. Police said they found the dog buried up to its neck with an obvious head injury in the back yard.
Long told KGW he thought the dog had cancer and they were trying to put it out of its misery. They buried Molly -- thinking she was dead. But a neighbor later heard the dog yelping and called 9-1-1.
"I took the best care of her, she has been sick for several years and I gave her the best I could give her," Johnson said after pleading not guilty in a Washington County court Friday.
Officers dug Molly out of the ground still alive -- and Washington County Animal Control took her to the Humane Society, where the dog had to be euthanized.
Family members previously told KGW they didn't have the money to pay to euthanize their dog. Long said his daughter had been afraid to take the dog to a veterinarian due to concern she would be accused of animal abuse.
Long and Johnson claimed at the time they'd buried Molly in a hole "in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of blood on their property," police said.
Forest Grove Police Capt. Aaron Ashbaugh said a necropsy report from the Oregon Humane Society indicated the dog had suffered from a chronic skin disease, body sores from lying down for prolonged periods of time, long-term malnutrition and chronic starvation.
Ashbaugh said there were also indications the dog had not eaten for at least four to five days.
Long was due to appear in court Monday. | Source: KING 5 - Nov 8, 2008
Update posted on Nov 9, 2008 - 5:41PM |
A Forest Grove man says he made a terrible mistake when he tried to euthanize his daughter's dog by hitting it over the head with a hammer last weekend.
Hyrum Long, 75, and his daughter, Susan Johnson, 49, were facing possible animal abuse charges after they hit their Labrador mix, Molly on the head with a hammer and then buried her up to her neck in their back yard.
Long told KGW Monday that they thought the dog had cancer and they were trying to put it out of its misery. He said when they buried the dog, they thought she was dead.
But a neighbor later heard the dog yelping and called 9-1-1.
Forest Grove Police responded Friday afternoon to a report of a dog buried alive at a house on Laurel Street. The father and daughter were not at the home when police arrived, because they had gone out to dinner.
Captain Aaron Ashbaugh said the officers entered the back yard and found a dog buried up to its neck with an obvious head injury.
According to Captain Ashbaugh, the owners later told police that they buried the dog in a hole "in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of blood on their property."
Police said the two put a pillow under the buried dog's head and put a large log on top of it. A neighbor apparently removed that log before police arrived.
Officers dug the still-alive dog out of the ground and, with the help of Washington County Animal Control, Molly was taken to the Humane Society.
Spokesperson Barbara Baugnon said Molly was in extreme pain and in terrible condition when it arrived. The dog was 13 years old.
"She couldn't lift her head but her eyes were following people around the room, obviously she was suffering," said Baugnon. "It's one of the worst cases i've ever heard of."
Baugnon said they decided the only humane thing to do was to euthanize the dog. She could not comment on whether or not the dog had been sick before coming in.
Baugnon said places like Dove Lewis Animal Hospital will euthanize animals free of charge and so will some veterinarians, depending upon the situation.
Long told KGW he didn't want to watch the dog starve to death and his daughter didn't have any money to give Molly the care she needed. But he said Johnson had been afraid to take the dog to a veterinarian because she was worried that she would be accused of animal abuse. | Source: NWCN - Oct 27, 2008
Update posted on Oct 27, 2008 - 9:52PM |
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