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Young pit bull killed in Cobb County, video could show the culprits

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Published  November 7, 2024 10:31pm EST
Cobb County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Dog's death under investigation in Cobb County

The search is on for the people involved in an animal cruelty case in Cobb County. Some of them were caught on camera trying to dispose of the body of a dead dog.

The Brief

    • Authorities in Cobb County are searching for several individuals involved in an aggravated animal cruelty case; they were recorded on surveillance attempting to dispose of a dog's body.
    • The situation escalated when video footage revealed the individuals returning the following day to remove the dog's body, concealed inside a metal crate, from the scene in a blue plastic bag.
    • Steve Hammond, Director of Cobb County Animal Services, confirms the involvement of a juvenile believed to be responsible for drowning the dog, a young, brown and white pit bull.
    • Despite extensive searches by local police search and rescue teams, the dog's body has not been found, hindering the investigation.
    • The case is now managed by Crime Stoppers, with the public being urged to submit anonymous tips online or by phone to help uncover the identities of the perpetrators and ensure accountability.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The search is on for a number of people involved in an aggravated animal cruelty case in Cobb County. Some of them were caught on camera trying to dispose of the body of a dead dog.

Surveillance video shows two men carrying a metal dog crate with a sheet draped over it and placing it against a dumpster at the Legacy at West Cobb apartments on Favor Road. A third man is also in the video, and they lean a mattress against the crate in an apparent attempt to hide it.

Director of Cobb County Animal Services, Steve Hammond, says inside that crate is a dead dog.

A second video shows them coming back the next day for the dog.

"The perpetrators came back, and removed the dog from the crate, and put it in a blue plastic bag, and then left the scene with that," said Hammond.

Hammond wants to find out who these men are, as well as a juvenile who investigators say is responsible for the dog's death.

"What we've learned is the dog was drowned in a bathtub, we believe the juvenile was involved in that," said Hammond.

SEE ALSO: $16K reward for suspect accused of dragging dogs behind car in DeKalb County

Hammond believes the dog was a young, brown and white pit bull. But he knows little else about the pup since investigators haven't been able to find the animal's body.

"We've had quite a few resources looking through the woods because at one point we were told it was placed in the woods and into a creek that was there. Our search and rescue team from the police department came out and helped with the search and we were unable to find it," said Hammond.

All of this took place at the end of July. While they may never find the body of the dog, they're determined to find those responsible. 

"We want to know who did this and try to get some closure as to why and maybe it’s a person who needs some help. We want to prevent something like this from happening in the future," said Hammond.

This is now a Crime Stoppers case. Since it was posted earlier this week, some tips have come in, but Hammond says they need more. You can submit any information to 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at StopCrimeAtl.org  You can remain anonymous.