By Shellie Murdaugh
The Island News
A dog with its ears removed was discovered Wednesday, Nov. 4 by a citizen, and officials are asking for the public’s help in finding out what happened to the dog, police said.
The dog was described as a Walker Hound and is approximately 4 years old, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Christian Felt said Nov. 13.
The hound was found by a citizen in the Gregorie Neck Road area of Coosawhatchie with its ears removed. Felt said the citizen took the dog to Riverwalk Animal Hospital where staff contacted Jasper County Animal Control.
Felt said this was the first case of this nature seen by current Jasper County Animal Control Officer Darcy Burnette.
“She (officer Burnette) believes this may be a case of animal cruelty,” Felt said. “While some hunters tattoo their dogs’ ears for identification purposes, removing the ears is not something she has encountered.”
Felt said officers are working to determine what happened and identify those responsible.
Anyone with any information about the dog, its previous owner, or the circumstances surrounding the incident are asked to contact Jasper County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch at 843-726-7519.
Shellie Murdaugh, who joined The Island News in October 2026, formerly worked as a reporter for The Jasper County Sun Times and Bluffton Today. She also worked for newspapers in Hampton and Colleton counties in South Carolina and in North Carolina at The Richmond County Daily Journal. She can be reached at smurdaugh@theislandnews.com.