Barking Dog Killed: Trap Police Say Was Set 'Deliberately' Suffocates Indiana Pet

A Hebron, Ind. pet owner saw her dog suffocate and die after the animal's head was caught in a trap police said was "deliberately" set for the animal.

Hebron Police Chief Steven Sibbrell told the Indiana Post-Tribune after the dog's owner called police to her home in 600 block of North Main Street around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, officers arrived to find the owner "distraught and upset."

After finding the dog with its head caught in the trap -- described by Sibbrell as similar to ones used for trapping groundhogs -- the owner reportedly tried to remove the trap from the dog’s head but couldn't pry it open.

“This is deliberate,” Sibbrell said in the Post-Tribune.

Police had reportedly been called to the home where the dog lived several times before on complaints of the dog's barking, according to ABC Chicago.

Hebron's municipal code does not have specific rules addressing noisy animals, only specifying that four or more animals, such as dogs, which cause "frequent or continued noises" are considered a "nuisance."

If found, the person who set the trap faces an animal cruelty charge.

Hebron is a northwest Indiana town located about 57 miles southeast of Chicago.