Missing Pit Bull Puppies Returned After Mother Found Dead

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) PSPCA Officers say they are investigating the death of a female Pit Bull mother who was stolen from a yard on Tuesday. Her missing puppies have been located and returned to the rightful owner.

According to the PSPCA, an individual found the puppies on Tuesday and believed that they were strays. After the news reports Wednesday night, the puppies, Shiba and Marvelous, were returned.

Tanya Thomas says her 5-year-old female Pit Bull named Mama and her two puppies, both 3 months old, we're stolen out of her backyard earlier this week. She showed FOX 29 where Mama was found dead. She was found hanging by her own leash on the back of her neighbor's fence in the Logan section of the city.

"I don't know why you did this to my dog. It's cruel why would you wanna hurt the dog," Tanya told FOX 29.

George Bengal of the Pennsylvania SPCA says the hanging was intentional.

"The way the animal was on the fence there's no way it jumped and hung itself," Bengal explained.

According to Bengal, the dog had no other physical signs of trauma and no blood and no bruising.

"I can't imagine why someone would want to do what they did whether it's revenge or a neighbor dispute that I don't know about," said Bengal.

While Thomas says she didn't hear anything Bengal thinks someone else did.

"Somebody had to see something this animal was apparently hung during the day," he said.

At this time, there are no suspects and the PSPCA is asking for the public's help. Anyone with information is urged to call the PSPCA's cruelty hotline, 866-601-SPCA.

The Philadelphia Police Department is aiding the investigation.