A dog was found dead, wrapped in a sheet and stuffed inside a suitcase, inside a dumpster behind a business on Dollarway Road in Pine Bluff. Authorities are now pleading with the public for any information that could explain how the animal ended up there.
Pine Bluff authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward, according to KATV, which first reported that the dog was found in a dumpster behind a local business on Dollarway Road. The discovery was confirmed by Pine Bluff Animal Control, which posted information about the find on its social media page.
Details on exactly when the suitcase was discovered remain murky. Pine Bluff Animal Control told Arkansas Online that the dog was found dead in the suitcase behind the business on a Tuesday morning, while a separate account from the same day's reporting pinpointed the discovery to a Thursday morning, October 22. Hoodline could not independently reconcile the two timelines, and neither report resolves which is accurate.
What Investigators Still Don't Know
Animal Control has not released the dog's identity, how it died, or who may have placed the suitcase in the dumpster, per the outlet's reporting. Those unanswered questions are central to why officials are now turning to the public rather than announcing findings of their own.
The agency is asking residents with any information to call Pine Bluff Animal Control at 870-543-5135, as reported by Deltaplex News. The station's report notes that no further detail has been provided about the circumstances surrounding the dog's death or how the suitcase came to be left at the site.
'Every Animal Deserves Dignity'
In its public appeal, Pine Bluff Animal Control framed the case as more than a single disturbing discovery. “Every animal deserves dignity, compassion, and humane treatment, even in death,” the agency said, a statement carried by the same Arkansas Online report. Officials there also said animal welfare is a community issue requiring people to care, speak up, and take action.
The appeal comes as Pine Bluff works to expand its capacity to handle animal welfare cases. The city council recently approved a $121,783.39 agreement with Midmark to purchase, deliver, and install new kennels for Pine Bluff Animal Control, according to the same outlet's separate coverage of a city council meeting, as the department works to increase its capacity.
A Similar Case Elsewhere
Pine Bluff's case echoes a similar discovery reported elsewhere. In South Carolina, a woman was charged after deputies said she left a dead dog in a carrier on her front porch for several days before reporting it to authorities, per WSPA.
Officials are asking the public for tips, with the hope that someone recognizes the suitcase, the sheet, or the circumstances that led the dog to be left behind the Dollarway Road business.
