Pet recovering after hammer attack
SUMMIT TWP — Jason Anthony's beloved springer spaniel Bailey was left with a badly swollen snout and jaw, missing and broken teeth and a shaken spirit after it was attacked with a sledgehammer.
The 46-year-old Anthony was victimized too, and not just because his “best boy” is hurting and there is only so much he can do.
There's also a sense of betrayal: His longtime, now one-time, friend is accused of committing the senseless attack Sept. 20 at Anthony's and Bailey's picturesque home on Green Manor Drive in Summit Township.
John Greg Riordan, 47, of Rock Cave, W.Va., is being held in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bond. He is to appear for his preliminary hearing Oct. 29 in Chicora on a felony count of aggravated cruelty to an animal and other charges.
His attorney, Michael Zunder, did not return a telephone call.
State police arrested Riordan on Sept. 21, alleging he hit 13-year-old Bailey “numerous times” with the sledgehammer.
Just hours before, Anthony and Riordan, both musicians, were performing as a duo at the Rock Ann Haven bar in Butler Township.
“I'm a drummer,” Anthony said Thursday. “Greg plays guitar and sings.”
That was Anthony's second gig that night. Earlier, he left his home to play at Pullman Park's summer concert series. He left Bailey alone with Riordan, who had been staying there since Sept. 19 while in town to perform as part of their duo.
The two men eventually met up to jam at Rock Ann Haven. Little did Anthony know, by then Bailey had been allegedly assaulted and was injured at his home.
“He said nothing about the dog,” Anthony recalled. “Zero. He said nothing about the incident with Bailey.”
But Anthony got a vibe that something wasn't right with his former friend.
“He repeated the same song three times,” Anthony said. “That told me something was wrong.”
He also believed Riordan arrived there “very intoxicated.”
Displeased with Riordan's unprofessional performance and demeanor, Anthony left the bar immediately after the gig was over.
“I was disgusted with him,” he said.
He returned home and, as he described it, “That's when I walked into that horrific sight.”
As soon as he walked in the house, he saw blood on the inside of the door and three teeth in the kitchen area.
But that was just the beginning.
“There was blood splatter everywhere,” he remembered. He immediately saw Bailey lying in the living room.
“He could barely lift his head and he wouldn't come to me,” Anthony said. “He was completely silent.”
Normally, Bailey gives his owner a kind of hero's welcome.“He runs to me and jumps on me,” Anthony said.He bent down to see what was troubling his four-legged friend.“I saw blood splatter all over his face and head,” he recalled. The blood was dry.“I saw his snout and both sides of his jaw were swollen. His eyes were glazed.”He said he felt as if he were traumatized.“I was shaking, and I started trembling,” he said, “once I realized something had happened.”Anthony walked around the main floor.“I saw blood splatter on every wall in every room, and on every carpet and every hard floor,” he said.Police would later tell him they suspect that Bailey had transferred that blood to different rooms after he initially was attacked.Anthony headed upstairs to the guest room where Riordan had been staying.“I found a hand-held, three-pound sledgehammer covered in blood on the floor,” he said. The sledgehammer was his.He suspected Riordan was to blame, and he called a friend who was at the bar helping Riordan pack up his musical equipment.Through the friend, he asked Riordan what happened to Bailey, but got no answer.Anthony still does not know the reason behind what happened to his dog.He told his friend to tell Riordan he was not to come back to the house. He was no longer welcome there.Anthony called police and soon two troopers arrived to begin the investigation.Later Sept. 21, police found Riordan on Route 8 in Penn Township. He was alone in a car with the ignition on, and smelled of alcohol, police said. He was subsequently charged with drunken driving,And, according to charging documents, police noticed he had blood on the legs of his pants.Anthony, meanwhile, took Bailey to his veterinarian in Mount Chestnut, but was advised they didn't have the resources to treat him.They recommended an emergency care vet in suburban Pittsburgh. Anthony said, with the technology to assess and treat Bailey.The diagnosis: Bailey had multiple teeth missing and broken, severe bruising of the gums and mouth, and severe swelling to the snout and jaw.Also, Anthony added, “Bailey had obvious mental trauma.”But the vet determined the dog did not have a concussion or any major bone fractures.“It could have been a lot worse,” Anthony admitted.Bailey's prognosis is relatively good. He will need surgery to extract his broken teeth and will be forced to eat only soft food.His old personality, however, may be irrevocably changed.“I actually don't know if he'll ever be himself again,” Anthony said, “but I hope so.”At her home in Grove City, his ex-wife, Michele, kept constant watch over Bailey for days following his assault.Bailey returned to his Summit Township home Thursday night.Anthony said he has been “overwhelmed” by the support and sympathy he's received from friends, acquaintances and strangers who learned about Bailey's ordeal.Anthony, who plays in a worship band most Sundays, meanwhile, is clinging to his faith to help him.“I pray for Bailey,” he said, “and I pray for Greg that he gets the professional help he needs.”
