Deputies are not treating the dog head found separated from its body in Valencia on Wednesday night as a crime, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials.
The dog head was found sometime around 7 p.m. near the intersection of Promontory and Cornerstone lanes, and was reportedly lying underneath a “Lost Dog” sign, according to Shirley Miller, a spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
“Deputies that went to the scene determined that there was no crime,” said Miller. “It was speculated that the dog was attacked by another animal.”
The other animal was likely a coyote or another dog. Deputies had taken a suspicious circumstance report, due to the dog head being found underneath the lost dog sign, but are still treating it as a non-criminal incident, Miller said.
Miller added that the tip had come their way around 7:20 p.m. via Facebook Messenger.
Coyotes are an animal that can be seen year-round, but because they will also be raising their pups in the spring and summer, they will need to find more and more food and may be spotted more often, according to Ranger Frank Hoffman, head ranger at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, in a previous Signal story.
Residents are advised to keep close watch of their animals when they take them outside during these months in order to avoid similar attacks.
