Necropsy: Dog found in dumpster was healthy

05:56 PM EDT on Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Reported by: Craig Civale

The results are in from a necropsy of a dog found dead in a dumpster last month in Ahoskie, N.C.

Two employees of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, each face 31 counts of animal cruelty after police say they dumped that dog and more than two dozen other animals.

Ahoskie police only had one of the dead animals tested. While the results did not show what caused its death, Sgt. Jeremy Roberts said the report shows the dog was fine. "That was a perfectly healthy six to eight-month-old puppy and the only physical problem with the dog was that it had fleas," he said.

Tissue samples are now being tested to determine whether the dog had been poisoned.

In addition to dead animals found in the PETA van on June 15, police say they found a syringe and what appeared to be chemicals used in euthanizing animals.

"From what the doctor told us, about the puncture wound in the vein, leads to they were giving something injected into them," Sgt. Roberts added.

According to the search warrant, police have been finding dead animals in the dumpster since early May. The first time, they discovered 21 dead dogs behind a grocery store. Then June second, 17 dogs and 3 cats were found dead. A week later, 20 more were found.

Finally on June 15th, police say they caught PETA employees tossing bags containing the bodies of 16 dogs in the dumpster. There were another seven dogs and 15 cats in the van, according to records.

The warrant says the animals were alive when the left the shelter and were dead within the hour.

"The only person that can euthanize an animal in North Carolina is a licensed vet and they were not even supposed to be in possession of the drugs to euthanize animals," noted Sgt. Roberts.

PETA sent a statement to 13News.

It is difficult for PETA to comment on the necropsy report without actually seeing it, but we do know it is estimated that 7-8 million unwanted dogs and cats in the U.S. are turned into shelters every year and ½ of those are destroyed. In the state of North Carolina, the ratio of unwanted animals who are killed each year to human population is 37/1000 (more than double the national average). Healthy animals are euthanized every day, and will continue to be, as long as cats and dogs are purchased from puppy mills, pet stores, backyard breeders and guardians neglect to spay and neuter their companion animals as there are simply not enough homes. PETA believes in humane euthanasia over gassing and death by gunshot and we encourage everyone to pledge today to not buy from a breeder or pet store and to instead adopt from a shelter. For every animal purchased, a healthy animal is killed in a shelter; it's that simple. For more information on how you can help, please visit HelpingAnimals.com.