When police arrived on the scene, they discovered a puppy that had been dead for days.
“I think it is very inhumane. That’s just wrong. I mean, you can call a million people to come pick the dog up,” said Doris Carolines of Cleveland.
The puppy was found inside a Dodge Durango.
“They could have just called the animal cruelty- the people- to come get him. They didn’t have to put him in a car like that. That’s just cruel. You wouldn’t want somebody to do that to you,” said Crystal Young of Cleveland.
According to police reports, when they were checking out the vehicle, they smelled a dead animal and then they looked into the rear of the vehicle and found the dead puppy.
Police interviewed the puppy owner and he stated the animal died on February 6, so for close to a week the dead animal was left in the back of the SUV.
In the police reports, the dog owner stated that he was feeding and giving water to the animal and doesn’t know why it died.
While APL investigators were on the scene, you could see how the animal was tied with a red leash and it was attached to one of the tie downs at the rear of the Durango.
“It’s always a sad day when we find an animal in this condition,” said Sharon Harvey, Executive Director of the Cleveland Animal Protective League.
The APL took the puppy to its headquarters in Tremont to determine a cause of death.
“We brought the dog back. It’s a 3 to 4 month old, probably a Chow mix. Our veterinarian did an necropsy. We found the dog to be extremely malnourished, extremely emaciated and our veterinarian feels it’s likely the cause of death for this poor animal,” Harvey said.
The Animal Protective League is now investigating to determine if charges will be filed by the prosecutor’s office.
(Fox8 - Feb 13, 2013)
