A single mom and her four-year old daughter are grieving the loss of a family member. And a bunch of kids at a day-care center are grieving the loss of a friend. On Wednesday, March 12th, Tank, a dog owned by Richele Ince and her daughter, was shot and killed by a neighbor, Kenneth Woodburn in the backyard of his Ridge home. The case is under investigation by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department and St. Mary’s Animal Control. Animal cruelty is now a felony in the state of Maryland.
The incident has become viral on Facebook after Woodburn, 29, posted that if the dog came into his yard “Hey going to dye today” (sic). After the dog was shot, he posted a picture of himself with the dead dog on his lap. Sheriff Tim Cameron told the Bay Net he has gotten calls from outside the area from people who have seen that picture and are incensed about it.
Tank was a pit bull/lab mix. Richele purchased him almost a year ago for her daughter’s fourth birthday. She said he was a playful puppy with not a mean bone in his body. She said he never bit anyone and just wanted to play with other dogs. In fact Tank had become a mascot of the day-care center that is on the same dirt lane that the Woodburn and Ince homes are located just off Route 5 in Ridge. Tank is now buried at that day care center
Ince, 21, was at work at her job at Walmart when a relative called to say Tank had been let outside and didn’t return. Concerned that he had left the property she purchased a runner for him. When she got home she learned from her day-care provider that Tank had been shot.
Ince believes that Tank was ambling over to the day care center when he crossed into Woodburn’s yard. She said she has been told that Woodburn lured Tank onto the property with treats before he shot him although there are reportedly no witnesses other than Woodburn to the shooting.
Woodburn alleged on Facebook that the Tank “charged me.” Ince, however, points out that Tank was shot in the back which she says is an indication that Tank was going away from Woodburn when he was shot. Woodburn also owned an older dog but there was no allegation that Tank attacked that dog.
Woodburn reportedly lives part-time at the Ridge home and part-time at another location with his girlfriend. Ince said that Woodburn never talked to her at all about any concerns about Tank going on his property, but she says he knew who Tank belonged to. She said she did not see his Facebook warning about Tank.
Over at the day care center, where Tank hung out and played with the kids, one of the children was so distraught that he laid on Tank’s grave in the rain mourning the loss.
