$9,000 reward offered after elderly dog burned to death in his Phoenix backyard

PHOENIX – A reward of up to a $9,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest after an elderly dog was burned to death in his Phoenix backyard.

Duke, a 16-year-old pit bull-mastiff mix, was sleeping behind his home near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street on March 5 when an unknown assailant doused him in gasoline and lit him on fire, according to Silent Witness.

The dog suffered severe burns and had to be put down.

Silent Witness is offering a reward of up to $4,000 in the vicious animal abuse case, and animal rights group PETA is offering another $5,000.

“The agony and terror that Duke must have endured as he was burned alive in his backyard are unimaginable,” PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien said in a press release Tuesday. “PETA asks anyone with information to come forward immediately before the individual responsible hurts or kills someone else.”

Anybody with information about the case is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377) or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446) for Spanish.

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