Toledo dognapping has ties to New York murder case - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

It may sound like something out of a mystery novel, but a Toledo dognapping is linked to a New York murder case. The dog was here as part of a rehabilitation program and he was reported missing this weekend.

Bones is a "Dogo Argentino," a rare breed originally intended for hunting. He was part of a murder case in New York City in 2011, but he's been here in Toledo for the last year and the woman who has been caring for him is frantic to find him.

2013 has gotten off to a rough start for Kathy Sutter. Her father died on New Year's Eve and Saturday was his funeral. After the funeral, she discovered Bones had been taken, "I came home from the funeral to find someone had jimmied the side door to the rescue and walked out the front door with him."

Kathy runs Northwest Ohio Underdog Rescue. Most of the dogs in her care have behavioral problems, like biting or aggression. She spends 6 months to a year rehabilitating each dog. Bones was one of the first high profile cases she took on, "He's been a sweetheart and I fell in love with him right from the start."

Bones made national headlines in November 2011. His owner allegedly killed his roommate and Sutter says at first there was speculation that Bones may have been involved in the death, but she says the coroner's report showed the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head, not dog bites, " They held him for evidence and when they finally released him he went to the Lexus project which is a legal defense agency that fights to help dogs that face death or confinement, and they negotiated a deal with the original owner to release him to their custody."

The Lexus Project asked Sutter to work with Bones and last January he came to Toledo. Sutter has more than a dozen other dogs at her rescue and Bones was the only one taken,"Who would do something like this? I believe it is someone who has experience with dogs. The fact that they took his toy and blanket gives me some solace that they are hopefully not going to hurt him."

Dr. Bob Esplin cared for Bones several times at Sylvania Vet Hospital, "He's been through more than enough and it's remarkable how well he's done. We're looking to find him and get him back to his rightful place. We don't care about any punishment for whoever took him, we just want him back, no questions asked."

If you have any information about Bones call or stop by The Sylvania Vet Hospital. They are open 24-7. The number is (419) 885-4421. You can leave the information anonymously and there is a large reward being offered for Bones' safe return.