A little more than a week after a female pitbull died from her injuries, another dog was set on fire and left to die in the city.
Officials say the male pitbull puppy was found by a passerby on West Cheltenham Avenue in the city’s West Oak Lane section. The animal was brought to the city’s Animal Care and Control team.
The approximately 4-month-old puppy, named Hercules by the PSPCA staff, suffered extreme burns on his legs and back and possible smoke inhalation.
The dog was stabilized, administered pain medications and then transferred to the Animal Alliance of NJ in Lambertville. Hercules is expected to survive but is in serious condition, according to PSPCA officials.
On June 25, Chloe, a female pitbull, died from her injuries after being set on fire near the 700 block of Gray Street.
"This is an extremely troubling trend," said Marc Peralta, chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania SPCA. "This is a sick and deplorable act, and something that won't be tolerated. Our Humane Law Enforcement team will be investigating and will prosecute the person(s) responsible to the full extent of the law."
Officials continue to investigate both Chloe’s death as well as the latest incident. They are unsure if the two cases are connected.
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The PSPCA is planning an event called “Justice for Chloe, A Rally Against Animal Abuse.” The rally is set to take place on July 12 at 7 p.m. at the Pennsylvania SPCA headquarters on 350 E. Erie Avenue. The public is invited to attend.
