Dead dog had been used for fighting, officials say

YOUNGSTOWN

Animal Charity Humane Society officials suspect that a pit bull mix dog that was rescued Tuesday and died that night had been used in dog fighting.

The dog, which should have weighed 60 to 70 pounds, weighed 25 to 30 pounds, said Joe Borosky, Animal Charity humane agent.

The 1- to 2-year-old dog was found by police severely dehydrated and near death in the back yard of an abandoned Norwood Avenue home Tuesday afternoon. It was tied with a tow chain padlocked around his neck.

No one seems to know who owned the dog. Several tips have been received by Animal Charity, which has offered a $250 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the dog’s owner. Private citizens and businesses have bumped up the reward to $900, Borosky said.