Arrest made in the case of severely burned dog Zeus (Photos)

On August 30, 2013, the story about Zeus, a beloved pit bull who had escaped from his yard and had been severely burned was published here. Details about what happened to Zeus can be found in the article linked below. A reward that eventually went up to $5,000 had been offered by the Humane Society of Missouri (HSM) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of this horrific act of cruelty. Now, as reported by the HSM, on October 2, 2013, an arrest was made.

The request had gone out to the public and the animal advocacy community to help track down the monsters who had done this to Zeus. The St. Louis City Police Department, along with the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney, and the HSM Animal Cruelty Task Force worked diligently to follow all promising leads in this case, which led to the arrest on Tuesday of 22-year-old Wesley Reid. He was arrested and charged with a single count of felony animal abuse, and will have a first hearing on November 19th.

Zeus had suffered horrible injuries, with burns covering over 75% of his head and 30% of his body. His burns were so severe that the veterinarian who examined him felt the kindest thing to do was to humanely euthanize him. Zeus had been a beloved furry family member, and the veterinarian had attested to the fact that he had been well cared for in his lifetime. One can only imagine how terrified he must have been when he was taken away from his home, and then cruelly burned.

Updates regarding this case will be provided here as they become available. Advocates had promised to help find the monsters who had hurt Zeus so badly that it cost him his life, and clearly that promise was kept. It is heartening to see police departments and city legal officials taking cases of animal abuse seriously, and working so hard to bring the perpetrators to justice.

A heartfelt thanks goes out to all advocates who shared and networked Zeus' story, and to the officials who worked so tirelessly to hunt down the person responsible for Zeus' suffering and untimely death. This truly goes to show that advocates working together can make a real difference.

Related links:

Click here for the article: "Reward offered in connection with severely burned dog".

Click here for the Humane Society of Missouri website.

Click here for the Humane Society of Missouri Facebook page.

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Thank you so much for reading and sharing the animals' stories. When advocates join together, we can all truly make a positive difference for the lives of animals everywhere. Thank you for your heart for animals.

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