The Dodge County community is grappling with a disturbing incident involving the death of a golden retriever and the subsequent arrest of a town board chairman. Richard Van Buren, who presides over the Chester Town Board in rural Waupun, was taken into custody by Sheriff Dale Schmidt on charges of animal mistreatment, as reported by WISN 12 News. The alleged event unfolded around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, leading to the canine's demise.
The case garnered substantial attention after harrowing details surfaced on social media; a woman named Shelby Krohn alleged that she entrusted the dog to Van Buren for care, and Van Buren took to using the leash to strangle the animal, according to her accusation—"That was not a mistreatment of an animal, that was murder of an animal. And I’ve seen this and witnessed this," Krohn told Wisconsin Right Now. Reacting to the viral outcry, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office emphasized in a statement obtained by WISN 12 News that decisions are made on evidence for a successful prosecution, not community pressure.
The gravity of the situation was amplified when a woman described how Van Buren supposedly strangled the retriever with a leash through a car window, which then led to the animal's fatal response; this account was captured in a chilling social media post, where the dog reportedly reacted by biting Van Buren, who then allegedly strangled it to death—prompting a strong reaction from Shelby Krohn, who was witness to the ordeal, as she detailed to Wisconsin Right Now.
In the wake of these events, Sheriff Schmidt initiated a death investigation, refusing to provide further details as the investigation progresses, "Information will be made available through court documents at the appropriate time and the case does remain under investigation," a point echoed in the sheriff's releases and as Van Buren awaits his initial appearance in Dodge County Circuit Court, his arrest has instigated a broader dialogue on animal treatment within the community with the sheriff's office cautioning the public, as always, that "all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," a sentiment reported by Wisconsin Right Now based on the sheriff's press release.
