TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A group of Marana residents went hunting and were met with a horrifying sight.
They found four puppies dead in a trash bag left in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, those residents were able to save two additional dogs.
The men said they would never have expected to see it, especially because they found themselves in the area by pure luck.
“We saw a movement there, and it didn’t look normal. So that’s what caught us,” Marana resident Robert Hase said.
Hase and two of his friends, Austin Herman and Jonathan Campion, decided to go hunting after work in the Red Rocks area.
It was about two and a half hours into the drive when they saw two dogs. Something they said was unusual to see around that area.
“I’ve gone hunting several times up north, and I don’t see a lot of domesticated animals out there,” Campion said.
They called 911 and, after being transferred to animal control, Herman tried to help them find their remote location.
“There’s a trash bag over here. I’m going to go pick that up, and I’ll put it in the middle of the road. So, I’ll mark that to mark the area of the coordinates,” Herman said.
But when he picked up the bag, he discovered four dead dogs inside.
He said the bag was tied up where the two other puppies escaped.
“I just broke down on the phone. I’m a disabled veteran, and it just tore me up. It just tore me up. It’s something I didn’t want to see anymore,” Herman said.
Officials with PACC took over the investigation, and while they say the location of this incident is unique, unfortunately, it’s something they see too often.
“Seeing it out just in some someplace, out in a rural area is less common, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen,” PACC director Steve Kozachik said. “Cruelty is a reality in our community.”
Kozachik says a big reason for these dumping incidents is improper animal care.
“Part of the problem is people overbreeding, the backyard breeding, puppy mills, a situation where people just let the herd get out of control. We need to see a responsible community,” Kozachik said.
But luckily for the two other dogs, they found a loving family with Herman. Herman and his wife were initially looking for adopters, but after 12 hours with the dogs, they decided to do something else.
“My wife’s been begging me for a dog for the past year or so. I guess God just had a plan to bring them into our lives.”
In the meantime, they are hoping to use this situation to bring more awareness to animal cruelty.
“If people see this, like report people that do this, if you have animals, can’t take care of them, find another solution,” Campion said.
Kozachik says PACC is still investigating to find who did this.
In the meantime, for those who saw Herman’s social media post and wanted to help, they suggest coming over to PACC to adopt or foster a pet looking for a much-needed home.
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