Why Teens Tied Dog to Tracks: She Was 'Too Sweet'

Police say they've found the individuals who shot a pit bull and tied the dog to railroad tracks in Sulphur Springs, Fla. Teenagers Natwan Callaway and Bobby Hollinger, both 17, decided to "get rid of" female dog Cabela after she was purchased to fight other dogs, but was "too sweet-tempered" to do so, police say. The New York Daily News reports the boys, plus others still unidentified, allegedly took the dog into the woods and fired a shot that injured the animal. When Cabela returned home, police say the boys tied her to the railroad tracks and Callaway shot her three more times, twice in the neck and once in the shoulder. The dog survived the ordeal and has since undergone a successful surgery to save her leg, which was shattered.

Police say the teens admitted to the crime after a surveillance video showed them walking with the pit bull. Both were charged with aggravated animal cruelty and trespassing as adults and are in custody at a juvenile detention center. Cabela's former owners, identified as Darnell Devlin, 18, and Kenny Bell, 21, face dog-fighting charges after police found two injured dogs with "bite marks on their neck and legs" at Cabela's former home, NBC News reports. The dogs have since been removed. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service says on Facebook that Cabela "is recovering nicely, showing full extension of her leg, but still has a slight limp." A video in the gallery shows her out for a walk with her caregivers. (More dog stories.)