Joseph Hillard met this woman from Butler, Pennsylvania, on a dating app. One day after she cut off all contact with him—because he made her feel uncomfortable and she knew about his mental health issues—the woman’s 10-year-old pug disappeared from her home.
Police arrived believing they were investigating a burglary. But the criminal complaint reveals something much darker: Hillard had planned to return the dog, but instead began beating it “in anger”. He then took it to a wooded area and finished what he had started.
The most disturbing part came afterward. Before leaving the police station, Hillard himself asked officers to tell the woman that he was responsible. Four days later, he was arrested at his parents’ home on Woodridge Road. He is now awaiting trial, while the Butler community still cannot understand how a rejection ended in the death of an innocent dog.