The Havelock Police Department is investigating after a dog was found abandoned in a crate during last week's freezing weather.
Animal control officers responded to the old Cherry Plaza Shopping Center on Highway 70 Wednesday afternoon after a passerby spotted the crated animal left outdoors. At the time of the discovery, temperatures had plummeted to near 36 degrees, posing a severe risk to the animal's safety.
While the dog is microchipped, investigators say they have been unable to reach the original owner and believe the pet may have been rehomed before being dumped near the local Sonic restaurant.
The dog is now safe and receiving professional care, but the search for the person responsible continues.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the shopping center parking lot between two and four p.m. last Wednesday to come forward. Tips can be called into the Havelock Police Department or submitted anonymously online.
Officials remind the public that there are resources available for those who can no longer care for their pets, and abandoning an animal in dangerous conditions is a punishable offense.
