Dog stabbed in head, stuffed into a suitcase and dumped in Halifax

RSPCA chiefs said the male bull breed dog was wearing a collar and lead, which had been wrapped around his front legs as if to restrain him.

The case was dumped alongside a fridge freezer in a layby on Heath Hill Road, Warley.

Council workers made the grim discovery on Friday January 26 and called the RSPCA.

An emaciated four-year-old bull terrier dog was found dead in a black suitcase in Harehills Cemetery in Leeds last Wednesday. (January 24)

Speaking about the Halifax discovery, RSPCA inspector Sophie John said: “The case was wrapped in black plastic and cable-tied shut.

“When the council workers opened it they found the dog, wrapped in plastic bags. His head had been wrapped in towels and a pillowcase which were soaked in blood.

“He had a large stab wound to the head, some two-and-a-half-inches long, caused by what we believe to have been a single sided blade.

“We don’t know whether this poor boy died before or after being put inside the case but what is clear is that someone has gone to great lengths to dispose of him, very likely after brutally killing him.”

"Veterinary opinion is that he died around 36 hours before being found, which would have been last Wednesday (January 24).

"The dog wasn’t wearing an identification tag and wasn’t microchipped so at the moment we have no way of tracing his owner.

“He appears to have been a big strong healthy dog, presumably friendly based on him having allowed someone to restrain him as I believe he has been.

“That someone could do something as utterly cruel as this makes me feel sick.”

The dog is described as mostly black with a white triangular patch on his chest and stomach.

He has a white patch on one front leg. The toes on both his back feet are white. The collar he was wearing was black leather and the lead was a silver chain lead.

The suitcase was red and black leather with a stripe across one corner. There was a red electronics cable in the case along with bits of string, a shoelace, an old tie and some superglue.

Inspector John said: “If anyone knows who this dog belonged to, or saw anyone dumping this case in the couple of days leading up to Friday that might help my investigation, please call me on 0300 123 8018.”