Puppies Found 'Emaciated' In Seattle, Reward Offered For Tips

SEATTLE, WA — The Seattle Animal Shelter is investigating two separate cases of animal abuse where pit bull puppies were found starved and dehydrated. The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who has information about what happened.

On July 26, a local resident found a young pit bull starving and covered in urine near Pritchard Beach Park in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. Investigators believe the puppy was kept in a cage where it couldn't move.

"The dog was hunched, weak and barely able to walk," the shelter described in a press release.

On Aug. 14, two more pit bull puppies were found in an undisclosed area between Seattle and Kent. The puppies were both younger than age 2, and were dehydrated and underweight.

There's a correlation between animal abuse, a felony in Washington, and crimes against humans like domestic violence and sexual assault, animal shelter officials said.

"When found, the first dog weighed only 18 pounds. After two and a half weeks, the dog gained 8 pounds — simply from being fed,” Seattle Animal Shelter Director Ann Graves said in a statement. "We believe it had been confined, meaning someone did this to the dog. This is inhumane and illegal, and we hope someone in the community who knows something will come forward."

If you have information, contact the Brandi Homeier at the Seattle Animal Shelter at (206) 386-1985, or the main line at (206) 386-7387.