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A Family’s Nightmare Unfolds Behind Closed Doors
In Milan Township, Ohio, a horrifying act of cruelty has shaken a family—and a community—to its core. Erie County deputies responded to a disturbing 911 call involving a man reportedly killing a puppy inside a family home. What deputies encountered when they arrived was gut-wrenching: screaming children, a chaotic and filthy home, and a young girl who could barely speak through tears as she described what had just happened to their beloved puppy, Hank.
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Children Watched Helplessly as Violence Took Over
According to deputies, the children told them their mother’s boyfriend, 45-year-old Jimmy Wiggins Jr., had threatened to choke the puppy before brutally attacking him with a hammer. One of the children described hearing Hank’s cries—high-pitched and panicked—followed by the unmistakable sound of something striking him. By the time deputies entered the home, Hank’s body was gone. All that remained was a bloody hammer and a bottle of peroxide, which the children said Wiggins used to clean his hands.
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The Home Was Unlivable, the Scene Unimaginable
Deputies described the home as “uninhabitable,” filled with the overwhelming stench of urine and feces, and in complete disarray. The children, visibly traumatized, pointed investigators toward the river behind their house, where deputies followed a trail of footprints. After hearing branches snap and a splash, they discovered Wiggins in the water, clinging to a tree in an apparent attempt to flee.
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Arrests Made as Shocking Details Surface
Wiggins was taken into custody and charged with multiple crimes, including animal cruelty, tampering with evidence, obstructing official business, and two counts of child endangerment. The children’s mother, 42-year-old Gretchen Howard, was also arrested—just hours earlier she had been caught with a crystallized substance during a traffic stop. Both adults were jailed on May 7, with bond set at $50,000 for Wiggins and $20,000 for Howard.
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Justice for Hank and the Children Who Loved Him
As court dates approach—Howard’s on May 12 and Wiggins’ on May 16—there is growing outrage from locals and animal welfare advocates. Hank, the puppy who brought joy to two young children, died in the most brutal way imaginable. And now, the community hopes justice will be served not only for Hank but for the innocent children left with the memory of a nightmare no child should ever witness.
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