Dog beaten and hanged
Phoenix, AZ (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 7, 2005
County: Maricopa

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

The Arizona Humane Society and Silent Witness are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to arrest or indictment in what could be another disturbing case of animal abuse. The incident involves a young dog found on the morning of July 7 after being intentionally hanged from a tree.

An Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crew found the canine victim, already deceased, at approximately 10 a.m. The dog was hanged with rope from a Palo Verde tree near 40th Street and the Loop 202 freeway. The body was suspended from the branch of the tree located about 50 yards north of the west-bound freeway on-ramp. ADOT workers said rope was tied around the dog's neck when they found him. The rope was tied and knotted, and wrapped several times around a limb of the tree.

The dog is a one-year-old black Labrador retriever/pit bull mix with a white patch on his chest. A necropsy by an AHS veterinarian suggests the dog suffered blunt force trauma before being hanged.

"This dog died under very mysterious and violent circumstances and was then hanged from a tree near a busy freeway. Needless to say, this case if very disturbing," said AHS President and CEO Cheryl Naumann. "We encourage anyone with information in this case to call Silent Witness. Imagine the mindset of the person who could intentionally hang a dog - the very thought of it is terrifying. This person needs to be apprehended. We believe that he or she could pose a serious threat to other animals or even people."

References

• KPHO - July 8, 2005

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