Dog sitter kills animal during home improvised surgery in Oakland Park

An Oakland Park man is facing two counts of felony animal abuse after he tried to perform a surgical procedure on a dog, causing her death.

Two-year-old Zoe, a hound/retriever mix, had been staying with William Jones Jr. because her owner, Danielle Vecchio, 55, was not allowed to keep her at her home. On Jan. 13, without explanation, Jones dropped off a lifeless Zoe at Vecchio’s home. Zoe was wrapped in a white sheet with a wound sewn together. Then, Vecchio received a call from Jones’ roommate detailing a horrifying story. That’s when she contacted the Broward Sheriff’s Office to report the crime.

The investigation revealed that on Jan. 11, Zoe had escaped from Jones’ yard through a hole in the fence. The following day, she did it again but suffered a 3 to 4 inch laceration on her chest. When Jones’ roommate showed him Zoe’s cut, Jones put glue on the wound as a remedy. On Jan. 13, Zoe once again got out through the hole in the fence, re-opening the ill-treated wound. Jones placed Zoe on the coffee table, asked his roommate to give her a muscle relaxant, and, with dental floss and needle in hand, he began to sew the wound. Zoe yelped and kicked to try to free herself. To stop Zoe from moving, he soaked a cloth with Chloroform, a liquid formerly used as an anesthetic, and put it on her muzzle. A short time later, Zoe became still and stopped breathing.

Jones was arrested at his residence on Wednesday, Jan. 20. At this time, he is not cooperating with detectives. If he’s found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

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Posted by Andrea Freygang on Jan 25 2010. Filed under Animals, Broward County, Crime, Local news, Oakland Park. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.