Missing dogs being found with altered appearances
Many dogs across the state are being returned home with an altered appearance according to The Dog Gone Recovery Network.
By Hector Molina
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (WFSB) — Many dogs across the state are being returned home with an altered appearance according to The Dog Gone Recovery Network.
The Network says they’ve seen dogs with their hair cut and dyed different colors.
“They’re dying them different colors, they’re shaving them, anything to change the appearance of the dog,” Melanie Heltke, a volunteer at the network.
Heltke recently assisted in a case in New Haven where a missing dog was found with purple fur.
It’s one of a handful of cases within the past few weeks.
“It’s all over, it’s not just one county it’s in different counties,” Heltke explained.
It is unclear why people are doing this, but volunteers within the organization believe it’s being done to make the dogs look unrecognizable.
The group has tracked down some of the dogs and are unhappy about the changes that have been made.
“Are they keeping them to fight? I don’t know. Are they keeping them for bait dogs? I don’t know,” said Heltke. “I don’t know what’s honestly going through a lot of these people’s minds.”
Donna Russo, another volunteer with the Dog Gone Recovery Network, helped reunite a French bulldog with its owner in Hartford. The Frenchie looked a bit darker than before.
“The dog was more of the typical brown Frenchie with light highlights around its face, light brown and even blonde. This dog appeared black,” Russo said.
This trend follows a series of animal cruelty cases in the past month that include a mama dog dumped in Wolcott and a dog left stranded with its collar strapped in South Windsor.
Channel 3 spoke with a dog owner who couldn’t imagine putting hers at risk.
“She’s part of my family so I wouldnt want anyone to go and do that. You wouldn’t do it to a kid if you find them in the road, you shouldn’t do that to another animal,” said Erika Back, North Haven.
The Recovery Network says to call animal control if you see any stray dog, regardless of it’s appearance. They also stress the importance of tracking your pet with a microchip.
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