Payson Roundup

Two Strawberry women on a stroll through Pine on Valentine’s Day came across the grizzly sight of a tortured animal hanging from a tree.

A woman and her mother, who do not want to be identified for the protection of their own dogs, were walking on the south end of Pine when they came across what they believe was a decapitated dog hanging from a tree.

The woman said it was obvious the animal had been tortured because it was badly burned and most of its extremities were removed.

A small fire pit was below the animal.

The woman estimated the animal was 25 pounds, could have had red or orange fur and had been there for at least 30 days.

Gila County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Tim Scott said a deputy is investigating the incident, but at this time, they are not sure what type of animal it is. The deputy left the animal hanging from the tree because it approximately 20 feet off the ground, Scott said.

“The officers were not going to climb the tree to get it down because of safety issues,” he said. Scott added there have been no other recent reports of tortured animals.

Anyone with information can call the sheriff’s office at (928) 474-2208.