Dozens of dead dogs found as Detroit snow begins to thaw

The melting snow at a Detroit park has revealed dozens of dogs that froze to death in the brutal winter.

At least 28 large dogs, mostly pit bulls and Mastiff mixes, were found frozen, many in fetal positions, and covered in scars and lacerations at the River Rouge Park, a local CBS affiliate reported.

“Because of the heavy snowfall in the month of January, a lot of these deceased bodies were discarded there because it was easier to cover them up. Also, it was an unusually cold month where a lot of dogs froze outside or were left to starve to death,” said Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) board member Nicole Litzelman, the station reported.

“This is just a small tip of the iceberg. Right now, since the snow is melting, I’m sure we’re going to find quite a few more bodies in the park,” she said, adding that many of the dogs were probably used for illegal fighting, hence the wounds.

“A lot of people when they do these illegal activities, they can’t put them out in the trash because even a lot of the trash collectors will report dead animals in the trash,” she said. “Or much less, they don’t want to draw any attention to the house where they’re fighting the dogs illegally.”

Other dogs found at the park may have been strays or dropped off by families who could no longer take care of them. One dog was even found dead inside its kennel.

“It’s one of the biggest problems that we have right now in the city,” Miss Litzelman told CBS.

DAWG has organized a cleanup for Saturday at River Rouge Park.

“The city is cash-strapped and is having issues as far as police coverage and animal control coverage so somebody has got to try to take ahold of the problem and do something,” Miss Litzelman said.