FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is investigating a case of animal abuse after a malnourished and lifeless pit bull puppy was found on the side of the road.
According to the police report, the puppy was found on Sunday, Sept. 24, in the area of Northwest 12th Street and Fourth Avenue.
“It was terrible,” the man who found the puppy said.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said he called 911.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement discovered the deceased dog, along with a white tarp and a black metal dog crate containing feces and vomit, all located in the grassy swale area near the reporting party’s home.
“The dog was just looking neglected. It looked like it sat in that cage for days barking,” said the man who found the puppy. “It was a wet dog, food in there. It looked like it threw up, and it just looked terrible.”
The dog, identified as a tan and white male pit bull puppy approximately 2 to 3 months old, was found lying on its side.
The police report state the canine was believed to be alive when it was dumped. A responding officer could “could see the puppy’s ribs protruding, and it appeared the puppy had not been dead long – there were flies, but no obvious signs of decomposition.”
The puppy did not have a collar and showed signs of severe malnourishment.
Authorities believe the puppy may have sustained an injury to one of its front legs. The police report states the “puppy’s front leg was bent at an odd angle.”
The dog also had cropped ears cut very short, indicative of a backyard breeder.
“It was just completely covered in liquid, and the dog seemed so freshly dead, it didn’t smell like death,” said the man who found the puppy.
Detectives believe an unknown individual or individuals abandoned the puppy on the road, likely between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.
A neighbor who identified himself as Antonio told 7News he also saw the dog just before police arrived.
“It looked like they just do it all out, just dog kennel, everything, whoever it was,” he said. “It’s a terrible thing to do to, you know, any animal.”
“[The] puppy died, a slow and painful death, which rises to the level of a felony offense,” the police report states.
Now police want to know who is responsible.
“It’s horrible, horrible, as if there’s not enough violence in the world,” said area resident Staci VanKannel.
“That’s really, incredibly, incredibly terrible. Oh, my God,” said area resident Karen Paul.
“To me, that is just the antithesis of why we are here, what we’re supposed to be doing and how we’re supposed to be living our lives,” said another neighbor.
Detectives are encouraging anyone who recognizes this dog or who may have witnessed this incident to contact Detective Ralph Bouyett via email at rafaelb@fortlauderdale.govat or via phone at 954-828-5639. Information can be provided anonymously by contacting Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
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