Two men from Clinton County have been charged with felony offenses in relation to the shooting deaths of two female Labrador retrievers in Boone County. The dogs, discovered on March 27, were victims of gunshot wounds, a fact later confirmed by Purdue University’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, as WTHR reported.
Following a tip from the Humane Society of Clinton County on March 18, the investigation led the Boone County Sheriff's Office to a property in Boone County, where they initially collected evidence on March 21. Despite the dogs were found deceased nine days after the initial outreach, it's been reported by WISHTV that their remains were not located during the initial search. Authorities employed multiple resources, including Indiana Department of Natural Resources personnel and drone technology from the sheriff's office, to recover the remains near Sugar Creek in Mechanicsburg.
After the recovery, the remains of the dogs, named Ruby and Nellie, aged 6 and 7 respectively, were sent for additional testing to Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, as mentioned by FOX59. Results from the hospital provided evidence that the cause of death for both dogs was due to injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. Both labs were identified through their microchips as having belonged to local residents.
Boone Circuit Court has since issued arrest warrants on April 28 for the two suspects implicated in this case. Yesterday, online court records confirmed that the investigation was still active.
