TRAVERSE CITY -- Jan Zimmerman wept as she gestured to an empty cage piled high with colorful dog toys in her Garfield Township home.
The cage belonged to "Possum Pie," her beloved poodle mix of three years. Near the cage was a framed photo of Possum as a puppy, and Zimmerman proudly displayed a book of checks that featured the dog's photo in full color.
"He was my baby," Zimmerman said.
Police are investigating after Possum was taken from Zimmerman's yard late Sunday night and killed. She and her boyfriend found the dog's partially burned body near her home in the Meadow Lane mobile home park shortly before 1 a.m. Monday.
"It's pretty morbid and shocking," Grand Traverse Sheriff's Capt. Tom Emerson said. "We've had animals come up missing and stuff, but I don't remember anything like this."
It's not clear if the dog was burned before or after it was killed, Emerson said.
Zimmerman put the dog out on a leash on her deck shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday. When she went to get the dog only 15 minutes later, he was gone.
She and her boyfriend, Jeff Cascagnett, spent about an hour searching the neighborhood for Possum. They found the dog behind the home and called police.
"Whoever did it was pretty bold," said Cascagnett, who said he was doing paperwork near the home's front door when the dog was taken. "Just eight feet away and they came right up when I was sitting here."
Zimmerman, who works at the Chum's Corner Rite Aid pharmacy, said Possum was a familiar face in Meadow Lane.
"Everybody knew him," she said. "He was friendly with everybody."
Zimmerman and Cascagnett said they have no idea who'd want to harm their dog.
"Whoever did this, they need serious help," Cascagnett said. "It was a deliberate act ... it takes a pretty demented mind to do all that."
Zimmerman is still reeling from the loss of Possum.
"I keep crying a lot and leaning on Jeff," she said.
Neighbors were shocked by the dog's death.
"If it's going to be something, I hope it's just a single incident," said Ken Skorski, who lives nearby with his family dog Henry. "Hopefully it's an isolated deal."
"Whoever did it needs to go to prison, that's for sure," said Larry Hyliard, a part-time manager at Meadow Lane. "Whoever would do that would do it to a human being. It's sick."
Police planned to interview neighbors Monday in an effort to gather leads in the crime.
"We're going to talk to whoever we can ... and go from there," Emerson said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff's Department detective bureau at 995-5152 or Silent Observer at 947-TIPS.
