BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — When Mary Sult of the Animal Resource Center in Millville arrived at a field near Bloomsburg Saturday afternoon, police officers showed her the body of a female pit bull with broken bones and covered in wounds.
"We can either think it was one of two things: a dog-fighting ring by the condition of the dog -- the short-cropped ears is always a telltale sign they don't want the dogs to grab a hold of each other's ears. They want them to do more damage. Or was it just a mishap between people's pets that got out of hand?" Sult said.
Shelter staff members say even if the death was an accident, the owner of this dog could still face charges.
"I've never seen a dog with those kinds of injuries and the amount of neglect that she endured. You could tell just by looking at her it wasn't just one incident," said Kate Magni, Animal Resource Center.
Police say a woman was out for a walk and saw a white Chevy impala parked along a stretch of road. After the car was gone, she discovered the dog's body and called local police.
A Humane Society police officer does have a pair of suspects from Columbia County on his radar. While we can't release their identities yet, we're told he will be interviewing them later this week.
"To know that there was another dumping, similar style, a few months back just sends chills to my spine, that is, are we going to have an issue in this area that other bigger cities have that we've never had before?"
A full necropsy will be performed to see what charges, if any, are appropriate if the perpetrator is found. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Animal Resource Center of Millville.