Coatesville cancer-survivor mourns dog’s death

Authorities said ‘Woogie Woo’ was set on fire after he died, likely from asphyxiation

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com

Cora Brown shares remembrances of "Woogie Woo," her beloved Yorkie-poo, which was killed and set on fire. To her right is Craig Baxter, an animal control officer for the Chester County SPCA.

A Coatesville woman said when she was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer, a Yorkie-poo nicknamed “Woogie Woo” became one of her lifelines.

“When I was lying down sick on the floor, he was there for me,”  said Cora Brown, struggling to hold back tears. “He was my companion, he was my best friend … I’m still in shock.”

Brown, who appeared with officials from the Chester County SPCA at a press conference this afternoon, said she received a distraught call from relatives on Saturday while she was in Baltimore. They said police had found the charred remains of a dog that matched Woogie’s description. She said Woogie had slipped out of the house on Friday when a construction crew was doing work and hadn’t returned, which was unusual.

The news hit her hard, she said. “I really don’t want to believe it … I’m hoping this is a dream.”

Authorities said police were called at 2:37 a.m. to the 300 block of Coates Street, a remote area that is not within view of any homes for the report of what had appeared from a distance to be a trash fire. Craig Baxter, an animal control officer for the Chester County SPCA, said a necropsy performed at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center indicated the dog had been placed in three plastic bags, doused with a chemical, and set on fire after it had died, likely from asphyxiation, he said.

Rich Britton, a spokesman for the Chester County SPCA, holds a photo of Prince Wooga Wooga Brown.

Although the examiner found no sign of blunt trauma or strangulation, 90 percent of the dog’s body was burned, Baxter said, adding that final test results are expected tomorrow.

Rich Britton, a spokesman for the Chester County SPCA, said the agency has posted a $2,500 reward for information that leads to a conviction. He said a private donor, Thomas G. Hickey Sr., the founder of an animal-welfare website, has promised $1,000, bringing the total reward to $3,500.

Brown, a widow for 17 years, said the dog was a graduation present for her daughter in June 2008. She said they went to see some puppies that were a mix of Yorkshire terrier and poodle in Lancaster County and “the runt of the litter walked over and licked her daughter’s face.” The deal was sealed, she said, and the dog had to come home with them.

Woogie’s full name was Prince Wooga Wooga Brown, she said. He stayed with her when her daughter left home. “He became a family member,” she said.

Like a child, he knew that when he was addressed by his full name, the caller meant business and he better respond, she recalled, adding that he had a well-deserved reputation as a ladies man. “He loved big women,” she said, explaining that he made regular visits to three girlfriends in the neighborhood. “Everyone loved Woogie; he was the community pet.”

Brown said she hopes whoever committed this “heartless and cruel act” will turn themselves in and get the help they need. “I just pray this person doesn’t do this to someone else’s dog,” she said. Dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, she added: “I miss him.”

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call the SPCA at 610-692-6113, ext. 226, or Coatesville police at 610-384-2300.