Intruders broke into an animal shelter in Helena-West Helena on Wednesday night and pitted multiple dogs against one another, leaving several animals wounded and a kennel destroyed, the Humane Society of the Delta said in a Facebook post Friday.
"The scene was straight out of a horror film," the post said. "It was a bloodbath. Kennels had been destroyed in the mayhem to give you an idea of the kind of fighting and violence that took place. To say we are disgusted at the kind of person who could do this to helpless, homeless animals is an understatement."
Beth Florek, a 10-year veteran of the humane society, said she got a call about 2 a.m. Thursday from someone who could hear "the noise the dogs were making."
Two dogs tore at a third, Rubio, that suffered life-threatening injuries during the attack.
Florek said she is not yet sure if the person who broke into the kennels took their own fighting dogs in with them, but multiple dogs had bite wounds. In a video posted on the society's Web page, Rubio has a gaping wound near his abdomen and bite marks along his jaw and ear.
"I've been a nurse for more than 40 years," Florek said. "I ran an ER in New Orleans. I thought I'd seen the dregs of the Earth. But seeing how people in my hometown, in my county ... they treat their animals as though they're disposable. And it's not just here. There are stories from all humane societies."
The violence Wednesday night is the third time someone has broken in and injured animals in the past four years, Florek said, sometimes resulting in the death of one of the animals.
Attempts to install security cameras have been thwarted, she said, when people stole the cameras or when the shelter simply did not have the funds to continue to care for about 300 dogs and install a security system.
Florek said the humane society is already in need of funds for daily operation and now must pay medical bills for the injured dogs. The society's website is humanesocietyofthedelta.org.
Phillips County sheriff's office representatives were not available for immediate comment Saturday.
Metro on 10/14/2018