Dead dog found hanging from a chain in West Baltimore

BALTIMORE - WARNING | This story contains graphic pictures.

The Mayor's Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force is holding a public meeting tonight after another shocking case of animal cruelty in Baltimore City.

Tuesday morning a dog was found hanged from a fence in West Baltimore. The fence borders a narrow alley that runs off the 500 block of West Lanvale Street.

Investigators think the dog was thrown off a nearby roof with the chain around its neck; or it could have been tied up on the roof and left to walk off on its own.

‘I guess it's no worse than no other neighborhood you know,’ said Paul Smith, who lives on the other side of Lanvale Street from the alley. ‘I've never seen anything like that before. Nothing like that ever happened around here.’

Police brought the dog's body to the BARCS shelter after it was found. ‘It was horrific seeing this poor dog just hanging there and strangling to death. So we immediately started to do a cruelty investigation,’ said Debra Rahl of BARCS.

The investigation will include an autopsy to determine whether there's any evidence that might lead to a suspect -- including any earlier injuries the dog might have had.

Last year, the City brought together an anti-animal abuse coalition in response to the case of 'Phoenix' -- a dog that had to be euthanized after being set on fire in Northwest Baltimore. ‘It just made us realize how terrible and deep-rooted this problem is, and that something needs to be done,’ said Caroline Griffin, who works with that coalition.

The task force is studying the issue -- trying to keep more crimes from occurring. One thing they know is that more and more of their suspects are turning out to be juveniles. ‘If they can feel nothing when the kill an animal, the next step is to harm a person,’ Rahl said.

The anti-animal abuse coalition is having a public meeting Wednesday night at six o'clock, at Poly High School.

If you have any information about the hanging of the dog on West Lanvale street, you’re asked to call Baltimore City police.