Police in Fort Lauderdale are investigating a case of animal cruelty after a pit bull puppy was found on the side of a road that investigators believe died a "slow and painful" death.
Disturbing photos released by police Wednesday show the severely malnourished puppy lying on his side on a grassy area in the 1100 block of Northwest 4th Avenue. A white tarp and a metal crate filled with feces and vomit were also discovered nearby.
A resident called police Sept. 24 after making the discovery and told officers he believed the dog had not been dead long, according to an incident report.
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“The first thing I noticed is the dog looked very neglected because it just looked like it was super skinny. The dog, it looked like it's been throwing up," he told NBC6 over the phone. "There was like it was in large dog food and poop all over the cage where the dog was next to. There's poop all over the dog's leg.”
Investigators believe the tan and white pit bull was approximately 2-3 months old, appeared to be from a backyard breeder and was not vaccinated. His ears were cropped very short, his ribs were protruding and his front leg was bent at an odd angle, police said.
“It was just really fresh and it was just a super horrible sight to see for a dog to have been treated like that by people that are supposed to take care of them," said the man who discovered the puppy. "I've never seen that dog before. I just was like, Dang, this is horrible. So I called the police. Hopefully, they can investigate the issue a little better.”
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The dog likely died "a slow and painful death," police said, and had not died long before discovery. They believe he was dumped in the area sometime between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.
“These people need to be found because that is just terrible," the witness said. "Like something that cannot go out and fend for itself. And the world is just completely mistreated.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
