Tennessee: Elderly couple's dog they'd owned for 10 years found 30 miles away, shot to death with a shirt and plastic bags tied over his head

TENNESSEE -- Officials with the Montgomery Animal Care & Control and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office have opened an investigation into a disturbing animal cruelty case after a dog was found killed 30 miles north of his home.

Deputies responded to the 1000 block of Roberts Road on Tuesday after a passerby spotted the dog on the side of the road.

Director Jeanette Farrell told NewsChannel 5 that the dog was shot twice and choked on his own blood. He was discovered with a toddler's shirt and two plastic bags wrapped over his head and tied tightly around his neck.

It was tied so tight that deputies needed to cut it open.

 

"I can't imagine no human being that would mistreat anything. I don't know anyone that could do something like that," Harry England, the dog owner and White Bluff resident, said.

Harry had the dog he named Red for at least ten years. His wife, Christine, described Red as a sweet dog who always waited for them when they arrived home.

 

 

However, Christine said Red went missing last week and thought he was gone forever. The family got a call a few days later from the sheriff's office after the deputy called the number on Red's collar.

After a necropsy, it was determined that the dog also had a stomach full of chicken. Farrell believes the shooter had the intent to kill.

'Chicken' as in, he was killing someone's chickens or 'chicken' as in someone fed him fried/baked chicken to get him to come close so they could shoot him?

  

  

Their daughter, who lives across the road, said her
parents love their pets like children

The family does not understand why or who would commit a brutal act but feared it could be targeted.

If anyone has information, call the Montgomery County Animal Care & Control at  (931) 648-5750

(NewsChannel5 - Feb 10, 2017)