NY: Children find 2 dead pitbulls - dumped near Onondaga Creek

Children find 2 dead pitbulls - intentionally killed, dumped near Onondaga Creek
By Catie O'Toole |
on March 24, 2014 at 4:54 PM

Syracuse, NY -- Children playing near Onondaga Creek discovered two dead pitbulls, who Syracuse police say were intentionally killed.

After announcing an unrelated animal abuse arrest at a news conference Monday, Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said officers are now also investigating the deaths of the two pitbulls that "suffered from severe trauma."

The children were playing in the 400 block of Onondaga Creek Boulevard, near the creek, when they spotted the dead dogs Friday, Fowler said. The children told their mother about the dead dogs, but she didn't believe them at first, the chief said. The children went outside to play again Saturday and told their mother about the dead dogs again, Fowler said. The mother went to the area where her children were playing and saw the dead pitbulls in an area behind trees, "as though someone had tried to hide them there," Fowler said.

The mother called Syracuse police, who took the dogs and are investigating their deaths.

"These dogs were not fought," Syracuse police Sgt. Thomas Connellan said. "They were just killed."

One of the pitbulls was black and had white fur under its jaw and neck, and had white paws, Connellan said. The other was gray and white, he said.

The black and white pitbull was emaciated, police said. The gray and white pitbull was not, officers said.

"This is just another investigation we have of animal abuse," Fowler said. "... This is not something we're going take lightly."

Anyone with information about what happened to the dead pitbulls can call Syracuse police at (315) 442-5336 or (315) 442-5222.

Children find 2 dead pitbulls - intentionally killed, dumped near Onondaga Creek | syracuse.com