Canine Murder Mystery on the James River

It
was a horrifying sight. The dog’s bloated body was spotted off a pier behind a Newport News, Virginia,
boatyard. The young black-and-white female pit bull
had apparently drowned, as indicated by her clenched
teeth and protruding tongue. But most chilling was that she likely hadn’t wound
up in the water by accident: Tied to her red-and-black harness was an 11-pound
weight that looked like the head of a sledgehammer. This dog was almost
certainly thrown into the water and left to struggle for air until she could
struggle no more.

Since
the dog’s body was found in the hometown of Michael Vick’s ”Bad Newz Kennels,” where dogfighting
and pit bull abuse are still serious problems, we can’t help but fear the worst:
that she was bred, trained, and/or used for fighting; either wasn’t “game,”
lost a fight, or got sick; and was meant to “retire” at the bottom of
the James River.

As
we learned from the Michael
Vick case, unwanted “fighting dogs”
are often killed in the most horrific ways. Vick and his cohorts admitted to hanging,
shooting, electrocuting, drowning, and slamming to the ground dogs who didn’t “perform”
well.

While
we may never know if this dog was used for fighting, we do know that someone
did not want her body to be found. A
necropsy report indicates that she suffered a shattered rib, probably inflicted
by the heavy weight when she was thrown into the water. She had recently given
birth and may have experienced complications.

We
are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime.

What You Can Do

If
you ever suspect anyone of participating in dogfighting, alert authorities
immediately. Dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states and is often
associated with other serious crimes, including domestic violence, gang activity,
and illegal drugs, firearms, and gambling. Signs of dogfighting include the
presence of multiple pit bulls chained up in a backyard and paraphernalia such
as treadmills and heavy logging chains.