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Left inset: Joseph Hillard (Butler City Police Department). Right inset: Chyanne Callender and her pug Lexi (WTAE/YouTube). Background: Surveillance video allegedly showing Joseph Hillard taking Chyanne Callender’s pug, Lexi, from her home in Butler, Pennsylvania (WTAE/YouTube).
Chyanne Callender, a woman from Pennsylvania who did “absolutely everything” with her pug Lexi, is fighting to “get justice” for the 10-year-old pooch after a man she met on a dating app swiped the dog from Callender’s home and killed it “in a rage,” police say, after being allegedly rejected by her multiple times.
“He kept pushing it to where he wanted things to go further, to where he kept trying to force himself onto me and I didn’t want it,” Callender told local ABC affiliate WTAE this week after Hillard was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and burglary by the Butler City Police Department. Lexi was snatched by him on Jan. 5, 2024, at Callender’s home in Butler County before being “battered” by Hillard and killed, according to cops.
Hillard, 28, allegedly confessed this month to stealing Lexi and taking the dog’s life. His parents have told authorities that he suffers from mental health problems, WTAE reports.
“I found an open window, climbed in, grabbed it and left,” Hillard told police, according to his arrest affidavit. “I at one point wanted to take it back, but started hitting it in a rage. It was battered pretty good so I took it to the woods and killed it.”
Callender told WTAE that the day before Lexi was taken, she and Hillard discussed ending a friendship they had tried to form after her repeated rejections. She allegedly told him she didn’t want to remain friends.
“I did everything with her, like, absolutely everything,” Callender said about Lexi. “She was everything, [my] best friend.”
Authorities probed Hillard after the dognapping and went to his parents’ home to talk to them about what may have happened. They denied having Lexi and said they didn’t have any reason to believe that Hillard would have her. It wasn’t until Hillard, himself, walked into the Butler City PD headquarters more than a year after the incident and apparently confessed that police found out the alleged truth.
“I just want her to get justice,” Callender said. “I want him to serve the full amount of time that he can for it. I don’t want to hear from him ever again, I’m never going to forgive him.”
Callender has created an online petition through Change.org to try and persuade the local district attorney’s office to seek the harshest penalty possible for Hillard.
The online petition created by Chyanne Callender for her pug Lexi (Change.org).
“On January 5, 2024, beloved family pet, Lexi, was cruelly stolen in an act of personal retribution by Joseph Hilliard,” a description says.
“This wasn’t just any animal being taken, this was Lexi — a companion, a confidant, a birthday gift from parents, a friend who was there through the best and worst times,” it continues. “Lexi was not just a pet but an integral part of family life who ate meals with us, participated/went along in activities that she could, gave unconditional love and support & so much more. The theft of Lexi is a personal offense, committed out of spite and cruelty, by an individual who chose to exploit a cherished relationship after being asked to respect personal boundaries (not wanting to be friends anymore & not wanting to date).”
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According to the petition, Lexi’s death falls under the category of animal abuse and pet theft, “which is graver than some might think,” the description says. The online document cites stats from the American Kennel Club, which show that there’s been a “70% increase in pet theft” in recent years.
“Despite the rising number of these crimes, penalties often remain lenient, and such light consequences do not discourage such heinous acts,” the petition says. “We demand that the law takes this crime seriously, and Joseph Hilliard gets the maximum time allowed for his crimes, and Justice for Lexi is ensured. We call for stricter laws and penalties for pets to act as a deterrent for future crimes. This isn’t just about Lexi; this is about every beloved pet and their families who may fall victim to such cruelty.”