Switzer offers to match reward for dog killer
TULSA (FOX 23) - A mother dog was tied up behind a vehicle and dragged to death on Friday night in Rogers County. Her name was Jetta and she leaves behind nine 4-week old puppies that still need to be weaned.
Former OU coach, Barry Switzer, heard about the story and tweeted: "Lab dog was dragged to death in Rogers County. $4500 has been offered for the capture of those responsible. I will match reward."
“We went to holler for her and she wasn’t coming,” said Jetta’s owner, Melony Patton. “My husband and my brother went to look for her and it was her.”
They found her one-mile down the road from their house on Saturday morning, in Winganon, near Oologah Lake.
“They took bailing wire and tied her back two legs together and dragged her for a mile away from home,” said Patton.
They found pieces of Jetta’s body along the road.“Her legs were still tied up, the bones were through her skin, her flesh was shredded, her skin was actually on the asphalt, stuck to the asphalt, her fur and everything,” described Melony. “Just shocked. I can’t believe somebody would do that especially to an animal that wouldn’t hurt a fly. I know she would never try to bite somebody.”
Melony and her husband Eric have two young children and all of them have suffered a lot this year. Melony’s father died several months ago, and the family’s other dog, Boomer, a German Sheppard was run over in front of their house. Melony struggled to explain to her oldest daughter, who is four-years-old, what happened to Jetta.
“She is in heaven,” her daughter told FOX23 News. “Jetta was very special,” said Melony. “If the kids were outside, she would stay right next to them, and right after she had her puppies last month, my two-year-old would roll over her and play with her and she would lick him and love him. She was like a kid to us, she would lay on your lap, and jump on you for a hug.”
The recently re-elected Rogers County Sheriff, Scott Walton, is determined to find the killer.
“There is a special place in hell for anybody who would torture an animal,” said Sheriff Walton. “It's hard to visualize the capability of a sick mind to come up with something they believe to torture an animal like this.”
A local, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization called, Wild Heart Ranch is helping fund a reward to catch Jetta’s murderer. In the last 24-hours they have raised $5,000. Switzer helped bring that to $10,000."When someone's been kicked, everyone jumps in and kicks back. Barry just happens to have a bigger foot than the rest of us," said Wild Heart Ranch Director Annette Tucker.
She spoke with Switzer by phone Monday. Tucker is hoping with the reward someone will come forward with information on the person who dragged Jetta down that road.
The Pattons have been feeding the nine puppies, four females and five males, soft food with calcium for the next couple weeks until they can eat solid food.
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