Weymouth police are asking residents to speak up after a grim discovery on Wednesday, when two dogs were found dead in separate spots in town. One was recovered along the shoreline at Whitman’s Pond and the other in the Lakeshore Road neighborhood. Officers say they are working to track down the animals’ owners and want to hear from anyone who might recognize the dogs or know how they ended up there.
According to NBC Boston, the first dog was a small white terrier-type that turned up on the Whitman’s Pond shoreline near the gazebo on Middle Street. Police said it had no collar, tags, or microchip, and was wearing only a Seresto flea-and-tick band. Investigators reported no obvious signs of trauma. The second dog, described by police as a medium-sized black-and-white pit-bull mix, was found wrapped in a plastic bag along the Lakeshore Road area, and authorities say the circumstances around that death are considered suspicious.
Where They Were Found
Whitman’s Pond sits off Middle Street in East Weymouth and includes a boat launch and a small gazebo that locals use as a spot to fish or launch kayaks, according to the North and South Rivers Watershed Association. The pond’s shoreline backs up to nearby neighborhoods with easy foot access to Lake Shore Drive, the stretch where police say the second dog was recovered.
How To Help
Police are asking anyone who might recognize a dog matching either description, or who noticed something unusual in those areas, to contact Animal Control Officer Darren King at [email protected] or 781-660-3708. Anonymous tips are welcome, according to NBC Boston. For those who prefer to go through town hall channels, the Police Department’s Animal Control line is listed on the Weymouth staff directory as 781-335-1212, ext. 43127.
Legal Context
If investigators uncover evidence of criminal conduct, they could pursue charges under Massachusetts animal cruelty laws. Cruelty to animals is prohibited under M.G.L. c. 272, § 77. For details on the statute and how suspected cruelty can be reported, see Mass.gov.
