Southbury police are still looking for the person responsible for abandoning a dog last week.
They say that dog was left tied to a tree outside of a horse farm. A reward is now being offered for any information.
The eyes of this German Shepherd look up at the person taking this photo after being found abandoned Thursday morning in Southbury. The dog, named Samantha by town animal control, was found outside Willow Creek Horse Farm on North George’s Hill Road tied to a tree with her leash.
“Thank goodness she was found quickly before, she was out in the weather or have gone hungry and thirsty,” Linda Pleva, treasurer and vice president of Desmond’s Army, an animal advocacy group, said.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Southbury police are looking for the driver of a car caught on surveillance camera dropping off Samantha. Officers say it appears to be an early to mid-2000s Chevy Tahoe. Pleva says Desmond’s Army is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
“If anyone could step forward, somebody knows who this dog is and who this dog belonged to and if they would step forward and give the police the information that they need to bring this person to justice,” she said.
Pleva says her group has documented more than 35 abandonment cases since April 1 this year. That includes Obie the dog, who was left in a South Windsor park last month. Her owner 26-year-old Janiya Bradford, of Manchester, was arrested this week, charged with cruelty to animals. She reportedly told South Windsor police she had a newborn baby in her family allergic to dogs.
Local
“Most of these abandonment cases, the person has waited until the very last minute,” Pleva said.
She stressed there are safe places to surrender a pet like a shelter or animal control and a decision to surrender should be made quickly.
“So, if you act fast when you first find out that you're not going to be able to keep your animal, your chances are much greater of surrendering to a facility. You won't find yourself in that position where you need to tie it to a tree limb,” Pleva said.
Anyone with information about who may have abandoned Samantha is being asked to contact Southbury Animal Control at 203-262-0613.
