The director of a Romeo-based animal rescue said she is exploring legal options to hold the alleged abusers of a Jack Russell Terrier puppy accountable for their actions.

On Friday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced that after a six-month investigation, her office would not bring charges against anyone in connection with the case.

Kelley Labonty, director of Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) rescued the puppy on Jan. 12 after being alerted to a possible abusive situation via social media. She found the puppy, Gideon, had suffered second- and third-degree burns over a very large percentage of his body.

At the time, details about how the dog came to suffer the burns were scarce but reportedly involved a mother and daughter who were arguing and the daughter allegedly putting Gideon into scalding water.

In her statement, Worthy indicated that the extensive investigation by her office could not determine who was responsible for Gideon’s injuries and that the mother first told investigators the daughter had put the dog into the tub of scalding water, then later changed her story and said the dog jumped into the tub.

Worthy said she knows supporters of DAWG and Gideon are upset about the decision not to bring charges, but that there was not enough evidence to prove who abused the dog.

She ended her statement with the following: “Sometimes our charging decisions will upset others. But ultimately, we must charge what we can prove. We must be able to prove who did this horrible injustice, and we cannot do that in this case.”

Labonty said DAWG’s attorney is exploring options for filing litigation, either civil or criminal, against the alleged abusers. She said she was not notified by Worthy’s office that a decision not to prosecute had been made.

DAWG posted a call for fundraising on its Facebook page to help pay for legal representation in the matter of Gideon. Labonty called what happened to Gideon the worst case of abuse she has seen in all of her years working in animal rescue.

Gideon was placed in a foster home while he was being treated for his injuries and was adopted by his foster family in April. His story caught the attention of animal lovers around the world.