ATLANTA — People living in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood say someone has been dumping dead dogs on their street and even in residents’ yards.
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Neighbors in the historic Collier Heights community say they have found two dead dogs dumped near the corner of Loghaven and Chalmers Drives in recent weeks, leaving them concerned about their health and safety.
“It’s very upsetting and we want something done about it,” Neighborhood Watch Captain Colleen Valentine said.
Valentine said the first dog was a small puppy found inside a cage.
“As I got closer, I smelled a horrific smell, and I saw it was a little girl puppy with a pink leash around her,” Valentine said. “I was horrified. I was distraught. I was very emotional. I was very angry, and then sadness came over me because I’m wondering who in their right mind would dump a puppy.”
Neighbors said the puppy was left in the empty lot for less than 24 hours before animal control removed it.
They shared a picture of a car they believe left the area shortly after the puppy was dumped.
“I was only able to catch the car that came up the hill, but I couldn’t get the tag number,” neighbor Freeda Hill said.
Police are now investigating.
Nearly two weeks later, neighbors said another dead dog was dumped in the area, this time inside a blue bag on the Thursday before Labor Day.
“On my property line, right down there, and the odor, the wind, it just took over the house,” neighbor Susan Ridley said.
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Ridley said the smell became so bad that she became ill and could not stay inside her home.
“It was hot weather, and there were flies and maggots, the dog was decomposing. It was very bad,” Valentine said.
Ridley said the dog stayed there for days.
“After I waited so long, my son and some friends of his decided they would go ahead and move it to keep me from being sick,” Ridley said.
The neighbors said they are also worried about what could be behind the deaths of the animals.
“We wonder if there’s a dog fighting ring, is there some type of sacrifices being done with animals, is the dog being starved,” Valentine said.
The city has since put up a new no-dumping sign after neighbors found the second dog.
But residents say they believe a camera that previously monitored the area could have helped investigators identify whoever dumped the animals.
“If they hadn’t taken the camera down right here, we would have been able to catch the person who dumped the big dog, and the puppy that was in the cage. It was sad,” Hill said.
Neighbors said the camera was moved because of construction connected to the I-285 interchange project.
“When they started the 285 Interchange project is when the camera was moved by the Department of Public Works. We’re trying to get it back now through city officials,” Valentine said.
Neighbors said they want whoever is responsible to be identified and prosecuted.
“We need whoever is killing these dogs caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Valentine said.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers reached out to Atlanta Animal Care and Control for an update. Officials said the Atlanta Police Department is handling the case.
Police told said the report was not yet ready and could not provide additional details.
Neighbors said an autopsy is being done on the first dog to determine whether it can provide investigators with clues about where the animal came from or what happened to it.
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