Family fears for safety after puppy skinned

FLORIDA -- A sad case of animal cruelty is under investigation in Citrus County and there's a $11,000 reward to help find the person responsible.

Deputies say a three-month-old puppy was killed and then skinned in its own back yard in the 3000 block of N. Chameleon Pt. in Crystal River.

The puppy was tethered to a tree outside for a few hours on July 5, but when the family got home they found it dead.

The family says they are afraid of what might happen next and they are keeping their young children inside until they find out who would commit such a cruel act.

"It was heartbreaking. I seen him lying there and I just started balling my eyes out," said Melissa Richburg, who is the one that found their 3- to 5-month-old lab mix puppy Tank. "It was like one of my kids lying there. He was our baby."

"Immediately I'm thinking the worst. What if next time it's one of my kids," said Byron Shrewsberry, who says he and his family just moved into their Crystal River home five days before Tank was killed, and Tank was only being kept outside until they got settled in.

Shrewsberry says the tree Tank was tethered to for just a few hours before he came up missing. They later found Tank's skinned remains about 40 feet away.

"Animals is just a starter. What if they move on to people? I mean you never know," said Richburg.
The couple won't let their five kids play outside now because they're afraid of what could happen, and they are now looking for a new place to call home.

"The public does not need to be worried. We think this was an isolated case," said Lyndsay Blair with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

She says they have received some good leads, but they don't have enough evidence to make an arrest.
"Someone intentionally took that dog and intentionally beat it and skinned it," said Blair.
"I want to see justice. I mean I want to see whoever did this. I want to see them behind bars," said Shrewsberry.

There is now an $11,000 reward for information leading to an arrest for whoever killed little Tank.

Anyone with information regarding this case to call the Citrus County Sheriff's Office or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, please contact Crime Stoppers of Citrus County at www.crimestopperscitrus.com or call 1-888-ANY-TIPS. There may be other cash rewards available up to $11,000.

(WTSP 10 News - Jul 16, 2015)