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Neighbor Weighs In On Dog Killed By Hot Dog Laced With Needles; 'Who Would Do That?'

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor

Betty Mayes, 84, has lived in her Frenchtown Township home for more than 40 years, watching the ups and downs of the neighborhood.

But she never thought she'd experience this.

Mayes lives between senior citizen Gary Pinchoff, and the Wann family, who had to euthanize their dog, Jinx, after Pinchoff allegedly put out a hot dog laced with needles. The Toledo Blade reported Ryleigh Wann spent her 16th birthday mourning her 8-year-old black Labrador after a vet couldn't save him.

His intestines were still riddled with needles after she vomited up 20 of them.

"Who would do that? Put needles in a hot dot? My God. You know a dog is going to eat meat. It's a shame to tear our neighborhood up. It's sad," Mayes told CBS Detroit.

The family called Michigan State Police after the incident, according to the Associated Press. State Police Trooper Michael Petersen said the neighbor, later identified as Pinchoff, told police he put the needles inside the meat to prevent the dog from coming onto his property in Monroe County's Frenchtown Township, south of Detroit. The man said he had previously had complained to the dog's owner about the issue.

Peterson said the neighbor claims he didn't realize the dog would swallow the meat.

Pinchoff, whose phone is now disconnected, could face charges of killing or torturing an animal, a felony.

"It's just a tragic story and people get kinda worked up with their neighbors," Peterson told WWJ Newsradio 950. "I think people should just try to relax a little bit. This is obviously extreme and it's unfortunate that it happened."

The county prosecutor's office is reviewing the case.

Mayes said Pinchoff's oldest son, 29, was killed by a drunken driver in April in Taylor, though she still doesn't understand what could have caused the hot dog incident.

"He's under a lot of pressure, he talks about his wife crying all the time. They've got a lot on their minds ... It does bother me, but I don't stick my nose in other people's business."

Mayes saw Jinx plenty of times throughout the years, saying he would stick his nose through her fence when she was gardening. Her yard is fenced, the Wann's yard isn't, but she said they kept him close to home.

"He was a big, black Lab, a pretty dog, a big dog, he was a friendly thing. I don't think he would ever hurt anyone."

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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