Two dogs are recovering Thursday after being abandoned in locations around Smithfield over the last two weeks.
Officer Julie Carroll with the Smithfield Police Department told WRAL News she found a female English bulldog Monday behind the Brightleaf Flea Market after receiving an animal complaint.
“She was a little hunched over and I was concerned,” Carroll said. “Whenever I pulled up, she was injured pretty bad.”
A photo posted on Facebook showed the dog with a wound on its back. Carroll said it looked like a ‘bad infection.’
The dog was just one of a few cases in the last few months in Johnston County. A week earlier, a male dog of the same breed was taken to Johnston County Animal Services.
In May, WRAL reported on firefighters from Cleveland Station 2 who discovered an abandoned suitcase in front of the fire station with a dog and five puppies. Those dogs were taken in by a rescue group in Wake Forest.
Officer Carroll is calling for pet owners to go to a local shelter for help if needed.
“Just don’t leave [the pets] in the middle of nowhere,” she said.
State law lists the act of abandonment of animals as a class 2 misdemeanor – those convicted face a maximum penalty of 60 days of jail time and a $1,000 fine.
Carroll suggested such acts are happening more often in Johnston County, but not completely out of animal cruelty.
“It’s so hard to prove, you have to prove they were intentionally cruel,” she said. “Sometimes I do believe people are just desperate. They have animals they can’t care for, or they have to move and can’t take them with them.”
Witnesses say they saw a green-colored four-door car pull into the vicinity of the flea market but weren’t able to capture a license plate.
The male dog is with a rescue group that caters to bulldogs.
Officer Carroll said she is considering adopting the female dog, who is currently at Johnston County Animal Services.
“She’s out of the heat and getting getting care and love,” she said.
She also provided advice for people to avoid similar situations.
“”Ultimately, if people aren’t ready for pets or maintain the commitment for a pet, wait until you are ready,” she said.
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