FRANKLIN — In response to a deeply disturbing case of animal cruelty in Robertson County, Animal Wellness Action is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators involved in a barbaric act of dog abuse in Texas.
The case began in late July, when a local woman discovered a severely injured dog near Little Mississippi Cemetery Road. The dog, barely alive and suffering from catastrophic injuries including a shattered jaw and a hole in its chest, was believed to have been deliberately harmed using a firework or explosive device, according to veterinary professionals and investigators. Tragically, the injuries were so severe that the only humane option was euthanasia.
“This was a sickening, malicious act of cruelty against man’s best friend,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “The use of explosives to harm any living being is depraved. We are counting on people in the community helping to pinpoint the person who committed this act of savagery.”
The Robertson County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the incident. A local news station reported that Sheriff Bill Ruland confirmed the injuries were consistent with an explosive device and called the case “horrible,” urging the public to assist.
Animal Wellness Action fights to end animal cruelty and supports law enforcement efforts to identify and prosecute abusers to the fullest extent of the law. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office at (979) 828-3299.
Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy are currently advocating for upgrades in federal law enforcement capacity because of the close correlation between animal cruelty and human violence. The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R. 1477, establishes a set of dedicated prosecutors to work with local and federal authorities to enforce our anti-cruelty laws. And the FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act, H.R. 3683, would create a policing unit within the FBI to focus on animal cruelty crimes.