Two dog mutilation cases have pet owners on edge

ANDERSON, Indiana -- Mandy Darling couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Charlie, her 12-year-old chocolate lab, was near death when she found him in the backyard, his tail skinned and three of his legs amputated.

"We didn't know what to do," Darling said. "We was like, 'Wow, how could this even happen?'"

Now police are investigating whether the cruel act of an unknown person might be related to the case of a headless dog found in Anderson, WXIN-TV reports.

Charlie had to be put down by a veterinarian to end his suffering, but authorities say he was not the only animal to see such shocking abuse.

Earlier in the week, the body of a dog was found without its head on some train tracks, according to Anderson Police Major Joel Sandefur.

Sandefur stopped short of saying someone is killing these dogs, but neighbors said they are frustrated by the lack of clues in these cases.

"Whoever is doing this needs to stop because it's not humanitarian or whatever, it's quite down cruelty," said resident Elizabeth Tharp. "If you have to live in cruelty, get out."

Darling said she hopes someone will come forward and that whoever caused Charlie's suffering will face justice.

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