JERSEY SHORE - When Chief Brian Flook of the Jersey Shore Independent Hose Co. was called to the scene of an animal cruelty situation, he was not prepared for what he saw.
A dog was floating in the middle of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River with a rope around its neck. The rope was tied to a cinder block.
"It was a horrific sight," said Flook. "I've never seen anything like it. Anybody that could do that to an animal, they are a sick person."
Article Photos
PAUL GARRETT/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Sgt. Dennis Gill and Det. Dan Hull watch as firefighter Jeremy Frantz trys to snag the dog floating in the river. Humane Police Officer Larry Woltz is in the background.
Humane Officer Larry Woltz of the Lycoming County SPCA said he was contacted Wednesday by a man who was walking along the Joseph V Grecco Bridge and saw an animal floating in the water.
Woltz said he made the drive Thursday morning to the site. After he parked his vehicle on the side of the road he walked to the middle of the bridge and saw the dead animal.
"You could see the cinder block and a piece of rope and the dog was laid out in the current, about 3 feet deep," Woltz said.
The first thought Woltz had was: "How do we get to the dog?"
Detective Dan Hull of the Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Department. was the first on the scene with Woltz. He called Flook for the fire department's help.
With the use of some specialized equipment, rescue personnel Jeremy Frantz stood on the bridge and was able to snag the rope tied around the dog's neck below and slowly drag it through the icy water toward the river bank, where Flook secured it.
The SPCA would like to find the owner of the dog.
It is a very distinct animal, Woltz noted. It's a white, adult female German shepherd mix, about 100 pounds. There is a brown marking on its side, and it appears to be an older dog.
"If we can find out who owned the dog, then we can go from there," Woltz said.
Woltz may be contacted at the SPCA, 322-4646.
