[jujusaffiemom]

If you have information that could help in the case down below please contact the Dallas Police.
http://cbs11tv.com/v...tvt.dayport.com
http://www.nbc5i.com...725/detail.html

DALLAS -- A body of a tiger found shot to death near Interstate 35 in Dallas was being stored at the Dallas Zoo on Thursday while state and federal officials investigate its origin.

An unidentified caller phoned a city hot line on Christmas Day about a dead animal, said Danielle McClelland, a city of Dallas spokeswoman. A sanitation crew that arrived to clean it up found a full-grown tiger under a blue tarp at I-35 and Kiest Boulevard.


An examination Thursday revealed the tiger had been shot five times -- in the chest, head and heart.

Zoo officials said the tiger had apparently been someone's pet. It was declawed and had a collar around its neck, as well a leash.

Zoo spokeswoman Susan Eckert said the tiger was nearly 6 feet long and weighed about 180 pounds. Zoo officials believe it is a Bengal tiger and was "fairly young." It appeared to have been in good health before being shot, although it hadn't eaten in about a day.

It is illegal to keep tigers and other exotic animals within Dallas city limits, but in other areas of Texas the animals are legal if they are registered. There are several thousand registered big cats in Texas, officials said.

The Department of Agriculture is investigating. It is not necessarily a criminal case, but could involve fines or revocation of permit if the person had one, authorities said.

[Cheekys mum]

Thats pretty sick!!! I mean couldnt they have given it up to "some" organization? And all those shots then dumping it on the Interstate! Wow Many weird sick ppl around!

[Cantab]

This is very sad, I hope they catch the *****'s that did it and throw away the key.

[Quincy's Slave]

That makes me so angry, I don't even know what to say

[kate]

Thats sad.

[jujusaffiemom]

It sounds so inhumane. I hope someone comes forward about seeing someone dump this poor animal on the side of the road. I could see shooting if it was attacking someone like the one in the zoo that got out.

[QTQP4me]

that's very disturbing, especially considering that fact that there have been reports lately about zoo animals being let loose (2 cougars from a zoo about 3 hours north of me - found and returned unharmed thankfully) and a hawk that had been basically raised by humans let loose in illinois.

the most disturbing thing to me is the part about it not being a criminal act. when i become ruler of the universe, animal cruelty will be treated as child abuse.

kris

[Andie's Mom]

How sad...

Another reason why people should do their homework long BEFORE getting any type of pet exotic or otherwise. So you know exactly what you'll be in for BEFORE you bring the pet home.

And we hear about how endangered all these big cats are and there's over a thousand captive in Texas alone? Paleeeze.....

Hope they find the person responsible and figure out the whole story.

[SimplicityAltered]

How sad and unbelievable some people just have no common sense. Someone has to know something you cant keep an animal this large and have it go undetected. But you never know some people just turn a blind eye on things like this when I lived in another town which was small they found a man who had a mountain lion that he raised since it was lil and when they finally caught wind of it. It was already several years old and huge the cops kept it in a storage shed that was located very close to my house till someone from wildlife management could pick it up my poor dogs wouldnt go outside because they could hear it screaming and wow was it loud.

[CaptainQuark]

Such blatant disrespect for a life makes me SO angry! Whoever did this should be shot himself.

When will people realise that keeping animals is a privilege laden with responsibility - not a right!?