JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Robert Overton, the man accused of hanging the family's pit bull late last year, remains in Chautauqua County Jail without bail, as the local humane society works to educate all pet owners about the proper way to surrender an animal.

"[It] was really shocking to me. After that wore off, my next thought was ‘what would lead someone to do that?’" said Kellie Roberts, Chautauqua County Humane Society executive director.

Police say Overton hanged the dog in a wooded area on Hallock Street near Palmer in Jamestown late last year while out on a midnight walk.

His wife Alana recently said the dog also tried to attack him inside the house.

“Yes, there were other ways to go about it. He is more than remorseful for that,” said Alana Overton.

"Lock the dog in the other room. Let the situation cool down a little bit. But I just want to think that if you just gave yourself a minute to think about it, you'd be able to do something that wasn't as drastic as that,” said Roberts.

The shelter has taken in a number of surrendered animals, for a voluntary $35 donation, and encourages people to call if they can no longer keep the animal.

Leaders say while there is a waiting list, emergency situations can lead to a quicker intake.

Staff also provide humane education throughout the community, and work to educate themselves on the law.

"We don't think that they’re as strict as they need to be, so even when they are enforced, perhaps they're not at the level that we think they should be," she said.

Roberts is also calling for the passage of the county's animal abuse registry law, designed to penalize abusers, prohibit them for buying animals and protect neighborhoods.

County lawmakers tabled the measure last month but are expected to take it up next Wednesday.

"With a law like this, it may have made someone like that think twice about committing such a horrible crime,” said George Borrello, (R) Chautauqua County executive.

Leaders at the Chautauqua County Humane Society hope the abuse registry and their continued outreach help prevent another tragic animal death from happening in the future.