The bodies of two deceased dogs were discovered “wrapped in bin liners” by a dog walker in the Umgola area of Armagh.
The dog walker described how his own dog had alerted him to the bodies while on a walk near Umgola’s Old Mill on Tuesday October 22.
Speaking to Armagh I, he said: “My dog sniffed them out and I found them. They were hidden and wrapped tightly in black bin liners.
“It wasn’t easy to tell but they looked like two, small Staffordshire Bull Terriers.”
He also believed the animals may have been used as “bait dogs” owing to the presence of “cuts on their heads” and a “red chest harness with a handle towards the back” which had been left on one of the dogs.
The second dog wearing a red harness
Requesting the removal of the bodies, the resident said he contacted authorities the same day.
However, the bodies still lay in situ when the horrified walker returned a week later on Tuesday, October 29.
Together with a number of neighbours, the residents removed the dogs from the bin liners and later buried them.
Concerned about the lawful disposal of deceased domestic animals, the resident said he “did research” prior to removing the dogs but could only find information for the removal of “fallen farm stock”.
Newry-based animal welfare charity USPCA advise that if the bodies of domestic animals are discovered in a manner that arouses suspicion, to contact the Animal Welfare Department of your local council in the first instance.
The police should then be notified on the non-emergency line by dialing 101.
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