What to Know
- The MSPCA has increased the reward for information to a dog's heatstroke death to $3,000.
- The dog was found trapped and unconscious inside a carrier outside the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts in Brockton.
- MSPCA officials said they have received more than two dozen tips from concerned citizens but no suspect has been identified.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced Friday they have increased their reward to $3,000 for information in connection with a dog's heatstroke death.
A young Chihuahua was found trapped, unconscious and foaming at the mouth, inside a carrier about halfway up the driveway to the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts in Brockton on July 10, according to MSPCA officials.
The shelter's manager rushed the female dog to the Lloyd Animal Medical Center in Stoughton but it died on the way.
Officials said the dog, which was about 1 year old and weighed 10 pounds, had a temperature that registered at 110 degrees, which was the thermometer's highest reading and about nine degrees higher than normal. That day, temperatures were in the 90s across the region.
"The dog, when I took her out (of the carrier), it was almost uncomfortable to hold her, she was so hot," shelter manager Joyce Caranci said.
Since then, MSPCA officials said they have received more than two dozen tips from concerned citizens as well as donations to increase the reward. Unfortunately, no suspect has been identified.
U.S. & World
"The bottom line is that someone in our community knows who did this and until and unless that person steps forward, it’s unlikely that justice will be solved, and the senseless death of this young dog will have been in vain. The MSPCA is eager to identify and prosecute the individual responsible for abandoning this dog, and we’re profoundly grateful to the donors who significantly increased the reward," Rob Halpin, MSPCA Public Relations Director said in a statement.
The dog was brown and white and otherwise appeared in good condition, according to the MSPCA. She didn't have ID tags or a microchip.
Anyone with information about the animal's owner is asked to call the MSPCA's toll-free law enforcement hotline at 800-628-5808. The $3,000 will be awarded to whoever provides information leading to a conviction.
Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by up to seven years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
