Dog Strangled, Found Dead In Backpack On Sonoma Co. Road

SANTA ROSA, CA – After the discovery last month of a dead dog stuffed in a backpack and dumped along a Santa Rosa road, Sonoma County Animal Control Services is turning to the public for assistance in its investigation of the suspected animal abuse.

A citizen reported finding on July 27 at about 3:15 p.m. a deceased small dog in a black backpack on the side of a roadway in western Santa Rosa near Todd and Stony Point roads, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said.

A veterinarian performed a necropsy on the animal, described as an approximately 8-month-old, female, tan and white Chihuahua mix, and determined the dog died of asphyxiation by strangulation, deputies said.

The dog did not have a microchip, and the backpack was an “Outdoor Products” brand with red straps and a black leash, officials said.

Anyone with information about the pup is asked to contact the Sonoma County Animal Services at 707-565-7100.

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--Image via Sonoma Co. Sheriff's Office