Hellam Twp. woman seeks justice for dog killed by intruder

Although she lost no possessions during a break-in at her home this week, a Hellam Township woman lost her best friend, a precious member of her family.

That's because an intruder took the life of Crystal Kreider's beloved dog, Maizy, an 11-year-old Australian shepherd mix.

“Just the most precious thing that that monster could’ve taken from me,” Kreider said.

The attack: Kreider was away from her Friendship Avenue home, working, when she got a call from her son.

“He called me immediately, and I could tell when I answered the call that something was terribly wrong,” she said.

Her son had come home and found Maizy on the ground.

“I came in, I just fell apart, I've never seen anything like it,” she said.

Maizy was lying in a pool of blood, with some of her teeth knocked out. Kreider said Maizy had been hit in the head with a ceramic slow cooker.  Kreider said she believed Maizy, whom she described as laid-back, had come to the door thinking it was her or her son. When it turned out to not be one of them, she attacked.

“I believe her instinct took over and Maizy attacked them,” she said.

She also said she believes that whoever is responsible for the attack could have bites or scratches on their arms or hands from Maizy.

“I would think that’s probably where she would go after them,” she said.

Hellam Township Police are investigating. They could not be reached for comment Saturday afternoon.

Maizy: Kreider said she hasn't been without an animal since she moved away from her parents. She adopted Maizy two years ago, after her 15-year-old dog had died. When searching for a dog to adopt, Kreider sought out older dogs, those who typically wouldn't be adopted because people tend to adopt younger dogs, she said.

“She wasn’t a dog; I referred to her as my fur baby,” Kreider said.

Kreider's 1-year-old cat wasn't hurt during the break-in.

"You can tell she lost a friend," she said.

She said Maizy had arthritis in her legs and spent most of her time sleeping.

“She wanted treats, she wanted belly rubs, and she want to sleep,” she said. “And as long as you gave her that, she was a happy puppy.”

Response: A reward of $3,000 is being offered for those who find the responsible party. Kreider said she initially put out a $1,000 reward, but donors, both anonymous and otherwise, have donated more money since.

“It has somewhat softened the blow, knowing that there’s still people out there who are willing to help us,” Kreider said.

Kreider said anyone who wishes to add to the donation may call the Humane Society police officer, Ame Kessler, who is investigating, at (717) 495-9991.

Anyone with information regarding the incident may call Hellam Township Police at (717) 434-1300.

“To the person who did it to Maizy: I'll find you,” Kreider said. "I want justice for her."

— Reach Christopher Dornblaser at cdornblaser@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @YDDornblaser.