HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — Emotions are running high among volunteers and staff after another suspicious incident at Humane Society of the Delta in less than a week.
“Come on “Blue.” She don’t want to come out a whole lot right now. Her ears are eat up, her neck and head got’s puncture wounds,” Shelter Manager Reta Merritt said.
“Blue” is one of several dogs involved in a fight over the weekend.
Staff members believe someone intentionally opened several cages in a gated and locked area of the shelter and let dogs out to fight with each other.
Merritt lives nearby and heard the commotion early Sunday morning.
“We got here on the after affect when it was too late to stop it.”
She was also unable to prevent another dog named “Oreo” from being injured.
“Her face was bitten up. She has some puncture wounds in her head. She has a really deep puncture wound in her neck.”
It was the second time in less than a week a violent incident has happened at the shelter, located in a rural part of Phillips County.
Staff members believe animals at the shelter are being used as “bait” for fighting dogs.
Staff and volunteers are angry and worried about the safety of the animals at the Humane Society of the Delta.
“After Saturday night I am super mad and going to take every step I can to protect my animals out here,” said Beth Florek, director of the Humane Society of the Delta.
Volunteers plan to patrol the shelter and hope to get high powered flood lights to make it harder for someone to break in.
On Monday, investigators with the Phillips County Sheriff’s Department were at the shelter .
Sheriff Neal Byrd says several law enforcement agencies have been contacted to assist.
“Also, we’ve reached out to the Arkansas State Police. And we’ve made a call to the FBI just in case we may go even further with whomever may be involved in this,” he said.
A shelter volunteer has offered a $2000.00 reward for any credible information that would help authorities solve the recent break-ins.
Contact the Phillips County Sheriff, Helena-West Helena Police or the Humane Society of the Delta if you have information.
The dog who was injured the most in last weeks incident, named “Rubio,” is still being treated but showing some improvement.