Dog shot before dumped in lake

A caged dog found dead in Grand Lake on June 2 reportedly was shot after it became aggressive and bit someone before it was dumped into the lake, a court affidavit says.

A minor misdemeanor charge was filed Tuesday in Auglaize County Municipal Court against Mardie Biederman, 43, Panama City, Fla.

The charge - duties of a dog bite person - says that after Biederman killed the dog he failed to immediately notify the local health board of the bite and keep the dog's body until the health board tested it for rabies.

Biederman is scheduled to be arraigned in court July 3.

The affidavit filed by Auglaize County Dog Warden Russ Bailey said on May 4 at a lot at Rustic Haven Campground in St. Marys, the dog became aggressive and bit a female on her lip, injuring her lip and also giving her a black eye. Biederman attempted to restrain the dog and get it back into its cage, but it became aggressive toward everyone and would not calm down.

Biederman then shot the white, female pit bull or pit bull mix named Tia. The dog then went inside the cage, and Biederman shot it a second time, killing it before dumping it into the lake.

"We do feel we know what happened with the whole incident now, but with him living in Florida, I don't know how long it's going to take (to serve Biederman with the charge)," Bailey said.

Bailey said it is legal in Ohio to shoot an aggressive dog that poses a danger.

"I'm not going to judge the guy, but I've come into contact with aggressive pit bulls, and it's nothing to mess with," he said.

The law says after a dog bites someone it must be reported to the local health department and be quarantined for 10 days so it can be checked for disease.

Bailey previously said information found on the cage led authorities to Biederman and Nicole Thompson, whom Bailey called persons of interest. The two, who had lived in Sidney at one time, rented a place at Rustic Haven Campground, the area of the lake where the unlicensed dog was found by a passerby on June 2.

The cage was pulled from the lake by a state park officer and state watercraft officer.

Bailey said media coverage of the incident resulted in people coming forward to help identify Biederman.

"I have spoken with the subject, and he's been very cooperative," Bailey said. "We have recovered other evidence, and that's what we have been basing (the charge) on."