Law enforcement investigating after three dogs found dead in crate
WARNING: Some details and images in this story may be disturbing.
WEAKLEY COUNTY, Tenn. — Investigators say last Sunday three dogs were found dead in a field in Weakley County after being left inside of crates.
Halfway Home Animal Rescue founder Amber Reynolds says the dogs were found just minutes from her shelter. She says she was heartbroken after what she saw.
“They could’ve reached out and brought them here,” Reynolds said. “I don’t condone any animal being dumped, but I’d much rather them to have been let loose so they could fend for themselves than to die in such a horrible, agonizing way.”
Reynolds was notified of the dogs by a friend. She says she could tell the dogs were still alive before being abandoned.
“There wasn’t a tray in the crate, so there was dig marks where the dogs were actually trying to get out and there was pry marks on the gate,” Reynolds said.
Weakley County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Marty Plunk says the investigation is ongoing.
“We’re exploring different avenues about how this could’ve happened or may have happened. Whether or not they may have died somewhere else and got brought there. There’s just different things that we’re looking at,” Plunk said.
Plunk says the neighborhood where the dogs were found is a tight-knit community.
He says he has never had a case of this magnitude within Weakley County involving animals.
“It hits you kind of hard how this played out. You start looking at what they went through, if they were left there as it appears,” Plunk said.
Plunk says it could’ve been a financial reason behind it or or even a time commitment issue.
“When you get overwhelmed, sometimes you make bad choices. So I’m going to leave my judgement open because you just don’t know a person’s heart,” Plunk said.
Reynolds says the pandemic has created an increase of people abandoning dogs, but says she will still never turn an animal away.
“If you reach out to us, we will help. We might have to find temporary foster for a couple of days before they can come here, but there’s so many people that do love animals around here and that are willing to open their home,” Reynolds said.
The Weakley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and looking for a vehicle that may have been involved.
If you have any information that would help the investigation, contact the the sheriff’s office at (731) 364-5454.
