Dogs crammed in crate had no food, water along UT road, rescuers say. ‘Left them to die’
A pair of dogs were left in a crate without food or water along a Utah roadway, officials said.
A photo shows the large dogs abandoned inside a cage on a gravel parking area near a reservoir.
Hikers found the dogs and called police, who took the dogs to the Hurricane Animal Shelter, KSTU reported. Officers are investigating the case as possible animal cruelty, the outlet reported.
“Yesterday morning, these two dogs were found in this kennel off of the 318 near Quail Lake with no food or water,” the shelter said in a Facebook post on Monday, Feb. 24. “We have minimal information on who left them.”
Neither dog had a microchip or a collar, so the shelter had no way to try to track down the dogs’ owner.
“If anyone knows additional information that could be helpful in this case, please contact us at 435-635-8314,” the shelter said.
Photos show the dogs looking slightly happier outside the crate and at the shelter.
A local animal advocate told KSTU she was “appalled by the incident,” though it isn’t the first time she’s seen pets abandoned in such a way.
“In a case like this where they’re found in a cage, they left them to die,” she told the station. “This wasn’t, ‘Hey, maybe you can fend on your own.’ It’s ‘I’m leaving you here, and I’m leaving you here in the sun, crated, to die.”
Several people in the comments on the post agreed.
“It’s heartbreaking to see animals abandoned like this,” someone said. “I hope they find forever homes soon and that whoever did this is held accountable. It’s just common decency to take care of your pets and not dump them in the middle of nowhere.”
“What is wrong with people who abandon helpless animals?” someone said. “It’s heartbreaking to see these dogs left with no food or water.”
“Humans can be so heartless,” someone said under the photo of the black dog. “I hope they find the loving homes they deserve.”
