Roaming Chihuahua killed and skinned, possibly by neighbor angry about dog feces

Another Chihuahua - not Shorty - available for adoption (see info below) /  Photo: Helen Woodward Animal Center

If ever there was evidence of the wisdom of keeping our companion animals safely at home, here it is.

Under a tree in their front yard, a Horizon City, Texas family made the gruesome discovery of their Chihuahua’s partially-skinned and lifeless body, reports local television station KVIA. The week before, someone had left a bag of dog feces on their front porch accompanied by a note declaring “This is yours.”

Shorty sometimes escaped his property to cruise the neighborhood, according to family members. Somebody out there didn’t like that.  And Shorty paid the price.

In a tearful interview with KVIA, Melissa Ortega, one of the eight-year-old dog’s owners, said he was “very playful, very friendly. He just loved to cuddle with us.”

As for how the dog was killed, Shorty’s other owner Maribel Pizana told KVIA,“They put like a hammer or something through his torso. You could see all his insides.”

On Friday Crime Stoppers of El Paso listed this incident of animal cruelty as their “Crime of the Week.”  They offer a reward for information on the case.

“There have been no clues as to who might have taken the dog, or if that person was responsible for the cruel nature of the dog’s death,” states the Crime Stoppers of El Paso website. “Anyone in the neighborhood who may have seen or heard something suspicious, particularly relating to anger about a loose dog, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers as soon as possible.”

For tips on how to keep your dog from roaming, please see "Is your dog an escape artist? Tips to keep her safe." 

ADOPTABLE DOG - "Parade"
Shown in photo above, Parade is an affectionate, 11-pound, two-year-old girl waiting for you at Helen Woodward Animal Center.

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS (unless otherwise noted) 

COPYRIGHT 2012

Dear Reader, 

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD) would be delighted if you'd spread the links to these articles. Please just keep in mind that reprint or re-post of more than a paragraph or two of the text or of any of the photos is allowable only by explicit permission from DDD, who may be contacted at youradopteddogATyahooDOTcom. Thanks for visiting!