Dog stabbed and dumped
News Archive > General > Dog stabbed and dumped
AN INVESTIGATION is under way after the bodies of two dogs were discovered in the St Austell area, one of which appears to have been stabbed and dumped in a sleeping bag.A walker made the gruesome discovery of a male light tan or beige coloured elderly Mastiff cross in scrubland near the Ironbridge on the old A30, close to Roche on Wednesday, April 21.
The dog was wearing a red half-choke collar. A post-mortem examination revealed the Mastiff had four puncture wounds in his side, at least two of which appear to have happened prior to his death, which may suggest he was stabbed.
It is thought the dog’s body had probably been there for up to five days before it was discovered.
In the second incident, the body of an aged Boxer-type dog was found at Collogen Downs, Stenalees, on Tuesday, May 11.
The dog was wearing a metal chain collar but there was no ID disc and he was not microchipped. The animal was apparently emaciated prior to death but the cause of death has not yet been determined due to decomposition.
It is not known whether the two incidents are linked in any way or are just coincidental.
The RSPCA is appealing for information in a bid to trace the owners of the dogs. Jo Barr from the RSPCA said: “Thankfully, incidents like this are few and far between but one like this is too many.
“We would appeal to people who have any information on dogs that have died to come forward. It is important to find out what happened to these dogs. Even if the dog has passed away because of natural causes it has still been dumped.”
RSPCA Inspector David Hobbs added: “The first animal appears to have died as a result of an injury which may have been inflicted on him. In terms of the second incident, we are at best talking about someone who had a pet which died and they decided to dump its body in this totally inappropriate way.
“However, we could also be talking about someone who killed this animal, either deliberately or through starvation and neglect and then decided to try and dispose of the evidence.
“Either way we are very keen to hear about anyone who recognised either of these animals and has any information about who they belong to or how they came to be found where they were.”
New figures released by the RSPCA show the number of dogs being abandoned is increasing. In the first four months of the year the animal welfare charity has received a call about an abandoned dog every hour, which is being lined to the recession. The charity took 11,574 calls about abandoned dogs throughout 2009 during the grip of the credit crunch. The RSPCA is worried that this year could hold a similar fate for even more animals.
Jo Barr said: “The number of dogs being abandoned in Cornwall is on the increase, which is being linked to the financial situation. The most common reason is due to a change in the owner’s circumstances like their job or a breakdown in a relationship whereby they feel they cannot cope looking after the dog on their own.”
The RSPCA believes that the introduction of a dog licence could tackle a wide range of dog welfare problems which stem from the lack of traceable ownership.
Anyone with information about either of the incidents in urged to contact the RSPCA cruelty and information line on 0300 1234 999 and leave a message for Inspector Hobbs. Calls are treated in confidence. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 any found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal can face up to six months in prison.
