A dog found covered in blood on the side of the highway with a chain around its neck has been put to death, the Bella Vista Animal Shelter says.
According to a post on the shelter's Facebook page on Friday (March 7), the dog had massive internal injuries.
"He was in so much pain we along with our vets felt this was the last act of kindness we could give to this sweet boy," the Facebook entry states.
The shelter's assistant manager, Matt Colston, said putting the dog down was a tough decision.
"When that decision is made it's always heart wrenching for us but in a case like this even more so because probably the last kindness that that animal has ever known was what we did for him," Colston said.
The 35-pound spaniel-lab mix was found on Arkansas 279. Photographs of the dog released by the animal shelter show severe road rash on the dog's underside, along with the large chain that was found with the animal.
The dog also suffered road rash on its head and ear, in addition to a possible broken leg, according to the animal shelter. The animal was fighting shock Thursday (March 6) and had been scheduled to undergo X-rays on Friday.
The dog didn't have a collar or microchip, according to Animal Control Officer Amber Bowman.
"RIP little black dog," the Facebook entry states, "run free and happy and well. No one will ever be cruel to you again."
