Dogs left behind to die in desert

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The Animal Humane Association said two dogs were abandoned and left to the die in a remote area between Albuquerque and Rio Rancho after someone tied them to a telephone pole in the middle of the mesa.

Animal Humane Association Executive Director Peggy Weigle said a Good Samaritan brought the dogs to the Albuquerque shelter on Thursday.

The man told the receptionist that he was driving around the mesa because his brother got his Jeep stuck in mud. When they were leaving they saw the two dogs without food or water panting in the hot sun.

Then they got even closer and found out that someone had tied them to the telephone pole, so they couldn’t get home even if they wanted to.

“The gentlemen brought them home and they drank about 5 gallons of water,” Weigle said.

The next morning the man brought the dogs to the shelter. They were named Pappa and Piccolo.

Weigle said she is grateful that the found them. The dogs have been named Pappa and Piccolo. They were both filthy and had not been groomed in months.

“They were obviously left just to die,” Weigle said.

Unfortunately, Weigle said cases like this are happening more often.

“People are just bailing on their animals,” Weigle said. “It's just shameful.”

Weigle said the bad economy and lack of money to take care of the animals is becoming more of an excuse. However, when pets are abandoned and left she said the owners are the ones to blame because shelters are always willing to take in animals.

Weigle said they want to find Pappa and Piccolo’s owners so they can be charge with animal cruelty. She said they will start running the numbers on the dogs’ rabies tags that the owners left on them.

“So we may be able to find the owner,” Weigle said.

Weigle said the charges don't even compare to what could have happened to the two dogs.

“I mean that's just a horrible death,” Weigle said.