WARNING! Graphic Content!
The audio on this clip isn’t very good, and the original video is not sharable, but you can see the whole thing here, if you can bear it.
A reporter from the Associated Press has put together a report from Searcy County, Arkansas (about 100 miles north of Little Rock). Apparently, over 5o dogs were fed hot dogs laced with poison, then summarily executed. Some of the bodies were found late Thursday night by loggers prospecting for timber land. They had a contact at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, who then contacted the Humane Society.
Officials from the Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas State Police, and the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Humane Society in finding all of the bodies. Five of the animals were still clinging to life, but had been so badly injured that they had to be euthanized. Three additional dogs had been given sleeping pills, but were not shot, and one dog had been injured less severely, with only one wound from the gun. These four are healing nicely. One dog is so skittish, officials have not yet been able to catch her.
Searcy County Humane Society Treasurer Jean Passmore said, “They were well taken care of. Well fed. It was not like they were all skin and bones and neglected. What hurts me so badly is we have access to getting these dogs home. We have transport services all over the U.S. It was unnecessary. We could have found them homes.”
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to call the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office at (870) 448-2340. The Humane Society has offered a reward of $5,000, and a private donor has put up another $1,000 in reward money for anyone offering information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the slaughter.
Although the medical bills for the survivors won’t be overwhelming, the Humane Society in Searcy County states that it can always use donations to maintain their shelter and provide medical care to those dogs who need it.
Our thoughts are prayers are with all of the people who helped recover these dogs as they deal with the trauma of a particularly gruesome job.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!