FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. — Police in Virginia are investigating after two dogs that had been stolen last week were found dead on Tuesday, authorities said.
According to the Franklin County Humane Society Planned Pethood and Adoption Center, the two black Labrador retrievers, named Colby and Caleb, went missing after they ran away from their owner while chasing a squirrel on Feb. 7 at Waid Park near Rocky Mount, WFXR-TV reported.
On Tuesday, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call at 3:15 p.m. EST about two dead black Labradors on the side of a road, according to the television station.
“To our great dismay, the dogs have been identified as the two black labs, Colby and Caleb, that were stolen from the Waid Park area last week,” the humane society wrote in a Facebook post. “We are appalled at this senseless tragedy and extend our condolences to the owners of these dogs.”
Witnesses from the park said they saw two men luring the dogs into a white Jeep Cherokee, WFXR reported.
Anita Scott, director of the Franklin County Humane Society Adoption Center, said Caleb had been adopted from the center a month ago, The Roanoke Times reported.
The dogs’ remains were taken to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg for further examination, according to the newspaper.
