Richard Van Buren (Photo courtesy: Dodge County Sheriff's Office)
DODGE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A town chairman in Dodge County who was accused of fatally hanging a stray dog by its leash has died, according to an obituary.
Town of Chester Chairman Richard Van Buren was charged last month with one felony count of mistreatment of animals causing death. He was scheduled to return to court July 31 for a preliminary hearing.
The obituary states Van Buren, 55, died Wednesday due to complications during surgery.
According to the criminal complaint, while out walking, a woman located a golden retriever which appeared to be dehydrated. She was told to take it to the Dodge County Humane Society, which then redirected her to Van Buren. The town does not have a contract with the shelter, so stray animals are brought to Van Buren.
Upon arriving at Van Buren’s residence, he yelled at the dog, which was sitting in the woman’s car. She offered Van Buren a leash, but he got another one. The dog allegedly bit Van Buren.
After getting it around the dog’s neck, he pulled it straight and choked the dog. Richard Van Buren reportedly threw the dog to the ground and said something like, “This is what we do on this farm when dogs bite.” Richard Van Buren never opened the car door and pulled it through the window. This is when the dog bit Richard Van Buren in the hand. After the pulling the dog out of the car, Richard Van Buren lifted up on the leash using both hands raised up in the air and extended outwards. The citizen witness said all the dogs’ legs were off the ground and suspended about two feet in the air. It was foamed at the mouth. She tried to intervene and begged him to let help the dog or let it go. Richard Van Buren replied something like, “No, this (expletive) dog bit me, it’s going to die.” He suspended the dog up in the air again and at this time it was limp near the cage,” the complaint states.
Richard Van Buren admitted the choke collar was “too tight for too long probably”, which is why the dog died, the complaint states. He admitted he was mad because the dog bit him and he was bleeding.
He “admitted dealing with aggressive dogs doesn’t usually “end well” and indicated he had dealt with them in the past in his capacity as town chair,” the complaint states. “In the second contact with Van Buren, Richard Van Buren said usually keeps a stray dog for seven days and after that, he “takes care of it”, which I clarified meant he shoot it with a gun.
Due to Van Buren’s death, it’s likely the case against him will be dismissed.
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