One of the two pit bull puppies that were dumped in Riverhead last week has died and the Suffolk County SPCA has increased the reward to help find the person responsible.
The puppies were dumped between midnight and daybreak Dec. 18 at the Riverhead Animal Hospital. Both had severe cases of mange, a skin condition caused by mites, authorities said.
“He had to be kept on intravenous fluids because he was too weak to eat, but unfortunately he did not survive,” Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk SPCA, said of the dead puppy.
The surviving puppy requires extensive veterinary care before it can be adopted. The agency is also asking for donations to help fund the care of the puppy.
The Suffolk County SPCA is now offering a $3,000 reward—an increase from $2,000—for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Anyone with information can contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722. All calls will be kept confidential.