Second dog found hanged in St. Louis County park

ST. LOUIS -- For the second time in about a month, a dog has been found hanged in suburban St. Louis, and police are trying to determine if there is a connection. Police were called Monday morning to Clydesdale Park in south St. Louis County, after a resident reported a young female boxer hanging by its leash from the top of a playground slide, county police spokesman Mason Keller said. The dog was dead when police arrived.

Keller said it appeared the dog had been intentionally hanged, with its leash tied to the top of the slide.

On Feb. 5, a couple walking their dog in Babler State Park in west St. Louis County discovered a 40-pound husky mix hanging from a tree. Authorities said that dog, its neck hung by the loop end of a strap leash, apparently struggled before dying, with teeth full of bark and moss.

Keller said there was no evidence connecting the two crimes.

"They're in drastically different spots, but we're looking at it as an option," Keller said. "There doesn't seem to be any similarity other than there was a dog hanged, which was enough."

Three groups -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation and the Humane Society -- are offering rewards worth a combined $4,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the first hanging.

Martin Mersereau of PETA said the group's $1,000 portion of the reward will go for information in either case. The Humane Society of Missouri will offer a reward of $2,500 in the second hanging.

"If there's one lesson to come from this, it's please bring your pets inside," he said. "We see them vanish from backyards and we see them killed."

The brown and white pit bull found Monday was in good physical shape and had been well maintained, Keller said. The dog was wearing a purple collar and was hung using a leopard print dog leash.

Animal rights advocates say animal abusers often commit violence against humans as well.

"We are sickened and extremely concerned that this seems to be the second incident of extreme animal abuse in the last several weeks," said Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri.