Dog's head forced into deflated soccer ball
Sanford, NC (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Apr 27, 2008
County: Lee
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Sanford woman has offered a $200 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who forced a dog's head into a soccer ball, leading to the animal's death.
The State Highway Patrol said someone placed a deflated soccer ball over the dog's head and forced it onto U.S. Highway 1 early Sunday.
Around 2:45 a.m. near Chris Cole Road, a car hit and killed the dog, authorities said.
"It was just an orange flash. I was like…I'm going to hit that thing, whatever it was. At the time, I thought it was just a cone," said driver Deonte Thomas.
Thomas, who was traveling from Raleigh to Southern Pines, kept driving until his car started making strange noises. Thomas said his bumper was damaged. He decided to drive back to remove the construction cone he believed he had hit with his car. Thomas called 911 after realizing it was a dog with its head stuck in a soccer ball.
State Trooper Jonathan Davis said due to the vehicle's damage, the animal was alive prior to being hit. The animal instantly died from the impact.
Troopers said they would file animal cruelty charges if they can track down the culprit.
"I've been in law enforcement for 12 years and have never seen or heard anything like this," Davis said.
Case UpdatesA family learned of their missing dog's death, caused by abuse, after state troopers tracked down the canine's owners on Friday.
The owners said they last saw their 3-month-old pit bull mix, "Terry," around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday. They had let the puppy out while they brought in groceries, and it slipped away from them.
About four hours later, troopers said someone placed a deflated soccer ball over Terry's head and forced it onto U.S. Highway 1 near Chris Cole Road. A car struck and killed the dog, troopers said.
The driver said he initially thought he had hit a construction cone, but called 911 when he realized it was a dog.
Family members said they had no idea who would have done this to their dog.
Trooper Jonathan Davis said animal cruelty charges will be filed if investigators uncover a culprit. Troopers said they do not have any definite leads so far, and the surface of the soccer ball prevented investigators from lifting any fingerprints.
A Sanford woman has offered a $200 reward for information leading an arrest in the case.
Anyone with information about this case was asked to call the Highway Patrol at 919-742-2124 or 800-445-8621. | Source: WRAL - May 3, 2008
Update posted on May 5, 2008 - 5:22PM |
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