The owners of a poodle mix named Mickey who was found stabbed, with some of his fur and skin removed, in the backyard of his Lake Ballinger neighborhood home in August have increased their reward fund to $10,000 in hopes of identifying Mickey’s killer.

Edmonds police have officially closed the case due to lack of evidence, but police spokesman Sgt. Shane Hawley said it can be re-opened if new information comes forward.

Mickey’s owner Paul Hensel said that a veterinary pathologist concluded that Mickey was “absolutely” skinned by a human wielding a “straight edge.”

Hensel discovered the body around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 25 about a half hour after letting the 10-year-old dog out in the yard. The property borders the Interurban trail right-of-way in the 23700 block of 74th Avenue West, just a block from Lake Ballinger.

A necropsy performed by Phoenix Labs concluded that Mickey died “from a pneumothorax caused by blunt force trauma,” Hensel said in an email. “The pathologist said during the call that it was ‘highly unlikely’ that the trauma was administered by an animal… since there were no teeth marks, no scratches from claws, and no dirt on the paws or snout that might have indicated a fight with an animal.”

Anyone who has heard someone speak about the crime or about hurting animals, or who has seen someone show off a patch of gray fur that was cut from Mickey’s body, can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-222-8477 or via the police website at
www.edmondswa.gov/police/anonymous-tip.html.