Woman says she’ll never forgive man charged with killing her dog
During a sentencing hearing, a woman told the Butler man charged with killing her dog that she’ll never forgive him for the January 2024 incident where her dog was stolen and beaten.
Joseph W. Hillard, 28, was scheduled to be sentenced in accordance with a plea agreement on felony charges of burglary and aggravated cruelty to animals, and a misdemeanor charge of tampering with evidence at the Thursday hearing at the Butler County Common Pleas Court, but Judge Joseph Kubit continued the hearing because Hillard’s attorney was not available.
“I know for a fact you’re going to burn in hell,” said Chyanne Callender, who owned the 10-year-old pug dog named Lexi that Hillard is charged with killing.
The agreement calls for Hillard to serve 8 to 23 and a half months in jail for the burglary charge, 4 to 12 months in prison for the aggravated cruelty to animals to charge and 24 months of probation after he is paroled from jail for the tampering with evidence charge.
The agreement also bars Hillard from contacting Callender and includes unspecified fines and community service. He is to receive credit for time served. He has been held in the Butler County Prison since Jan. 30 in lieu of $100,000 bail, which was set the day after he was arrested by Butler police.
Callender said her parents gave her the dog as her 13th birthday present. In a February interview with the Butler Eagle, Callender said she moved out of her parents’ home with Lexi seven years later when she was 20.
She said she and Lexi were inseparable until Jan. 5, 2024, when Callender came home to find Lexi missing. About a year later, she found out Hillard confessed to taking and killing her dog.
Callender said met Hillard on a dating site in 2023 and they became friends with no intentions of dating. She said she removed Hillard from her life after he made repeated advances.
She said she felt like Hillard wouldn’t take no for an answer on pursuing a relationship. Hillard identified Callender as his ex-girlfriend in his confession, according to an affidavit.
Police said Hillard confessed to entering the home through an open window, taking the dog, beating it, killing it and disposing of it in woods behind Rock Ann Haven in Butler Township. Callender said her dog would have turned 11 in February.
“I’ll never forgive you,” Callender screamed at Hillard. “I’m mad. Don’t ever come near me ever.”
A new date for the sentencing hearing has not been set.
