COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An animal rescue group says a dog placed in a program that pairs Ohio inmates with foster dogs was found dead in a cell in a violent death.
Joseph's Legacy, an animal rescue charity in southwestern Ohio, says one of its dogs, Evie, was found dead at Warren Correctional Institution late last month.
The charity said a necropsy showed that the dog, a 4-year-old German Shepherd-Elkhound mix, died of "blunt force trauma to her abdomen."
A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said Tuesday the agency has "zero tolerance" for animal abuse.
JoEllen Smith said the prison system will conduct a thorough investigation at Warren Correctional Institution as well as review animal programs at other prisons.
