A Florida family’s missing dog was found dead, with a cruel handwritten note taped to its broken body, police said Tuesday.
“WE BEAT IT 2 Death lol! HAHAHA!” read the note, according to police in Pembroke Pines.
A smiley face was drawn with the message.
The 13-year-old Pomeranian, named Fox, went missing after he was let outside to a grassy area just outside his family’s back door on Aug. 7, owner Verline Bartheleny told Miami television station WSVN.
A day later, Fox’s body was found left on the condominium’s back stoop, the note taped to his fur.
“I saw the note and it was just horrifying. I just started crying,” Bartheleny said. “I’ve had him for a long time. It hurts.”
The family took the dog to a veterinarian to find out what happened to their pet. The animal had a broken spine, broken jaw, cracked ribs and a ruptured stomach, WSVN reported.
“What disturbs me the most is somebody apparently thought this was humorous and took joy and pleasure in presenting the dog like this,” the vet, Dr. Ron Ridge, told WPLG, another Miami station.
The family was posting fliers around the neighborhood including a photo of the dog and the note.
The Pembroke Pines Police Department said Tuesday that it was investigating a case of animal cruelty.
On Facebook, police said “as of now the horrific murder of Fox … appears to be an isolated incident.”
There was no reason to believe other dogs in the area were at risk, the Facebook post stated.
The Florida Sun-Sentinel and WPLG reported that the dog’s owner’s last name was spelled Barthelemy, while WSVN said it was Bartheleny.
Police said the incident was reported by Ronald W. Boisvert, the dog owner’s boyfriend, whom the the Sun-Sentinel said called police. The dog weighed 7 pounds, the newspaper reported.