The person or persons responsible for torturing and slowly killing a dog in Butler County need to have the book thrown at them once they are apprehended.

The case in question involves a person who put a mechanical gasket around the dog’s neck, causing it to starve and bleed to death.

Early last week, nearby residents began calling Rochester resident Michael Porter, president of an animal assistance program in Butler County, saying they had spotted an injured dog wandering the neighborhood. Porter’s wife saw the dog at an old ballpark, and Porter was appalled when he found the black Labrador mix, which was about 2 to 3 years old.

Porter has since offered a $1,000 award to anyone with information about the person responsible for this cruel death.

We hope this individual is swiftly brought to justice.

People of this nature are the lowest of the low – we’d put them very close behind pedophiles and those who abuse children.

The conditions of this dog were deplorable. When it was found, it was “skin and bones” and its head was so swollen it could barely hold it up. The dog had a two-inch gash completely around its neck that severed its trachea.

Those familiar with the case have no idea how long the dog had been in this condition but noted that the mechanical tool had been there long enough to cut all around its neck.

The dog was rushed to a nearby animal clinic, where it was given pain medicine and food. The dog seemed to be making progress, but before the trachea could be repaired, an artery blew, causing the dog to die.

This was an intentional act done by a very twisted person. The person who put this device around this dog’s neck anticipated a slow and very painful death.

There is no way to imagine the pain this dog went through.

It’s all very sad. The dog is gone now, but once the responsible party is caught, perhaps they should receive the same barbaric treatment the dog received.

Just a thought. We suspect, however, that the Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment even extends to lowlifes.