$5,000 reward posted in hanging death of pit bull

OLNEY (WPVI) -- The SPCA announced it's offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who can help them catch a dog killer and thief.

Police said a 5-year-old pit bull and her two 3-month-old puppies were stolen on Tuesday from the back yard of a home in the 5200 block of North Marvine Street in Olney.

"She was missing all day yesterday, and I went looking for her. I was all day looking for her yesterday," said Latanya Thomas, the dog's owner, when she spoke to Action News on Wednesday.

The pit bull, affectionately called "Momma's" was reportedly found hanging from her chain leash from the top of an 8-foot wooden fence.

"The neighbor knocked on my door and found her hung over there in the yard," said Thomas. "And they took her babies."

However, the puppies were returned to their owner on Thursday. Pennsylvania SPCA officials said they were returned after the person who found them heard about their story - they had assumed the dogs were strays.

Authorities tell Action News the death of the mother pit bull was no accident.

"The way the animal was put up on the fence, there was no way the animal jumped and hung itself," said George Bengal with the PSPCA.

"They might have killed her before they put her over that gate because she'll usually make some noise 'cause she'll bark," said Thomas. "So I think they killed her before they put her over that gate."

She said she can't begin to imagine who would do something so cruel.

"They need to go to jail. Whoever it is, I hope they go to hell. They're going to hell 'cause you don't do dogs like that," said Thomas.

Authorities believe somebody knows something.

"Somebody had to see something," said Bengal. "This animal apparently was hung during the day, you know, this is a pretty closed area here. It's all twin homes and the yards back up pretty tight to one another so somebody had to see something."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the PSPCA's cruelty hotline at 866-601-SPCA.