Police believe officer's puppy was targeted, abducted, and beheaded

Authorities believe a suspect abducted and beheaded a 3-month-old puppy in a "targeted attack" against police in Kansas.

The Parsons Police Department suspects that a criminal stole a dog belonging to a law enforcement agent and viciously abused the animal as payback.

"The officer reported last Friday that he let the German shepherd puppy – named Ranger – out into a fenced yard about 7 a.m. and found the puppy in the yard with its head severed about 2 p.m.," Fox News reported.

Reports claim that the puppy was shot to death.

"This is disgusting enough that it was done to an animal in our community, but when you add in that this appears to be a targeted attack on the home and personal property of a police officer, this makes it nothing more than a hate crime," said Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks.

The suspects could face felony animal cruelty and trespassing charges.

The Parsons Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

A 3-month-old puppy belonging to a Kansas police officer was shot and beheaded in what investigators said was a targeted attack because of the owner's career in law enforcement.

"I cannot even describe my feelings of disdain for the person(s) responsible. I am an avid dog lover as I have made it clear to the community over the years that I have been here, I have 2 rescue dogs, one that I adopted from our local shelter," Spinks said in a statement. "The level of cowardice that would lead someone to kill a little puppy named 'Ranger' is astonishing."

"It appears that Ranger was removed from the backyard by the suspects and taken to another location where he was probably shot in the head," a police statement said. "It's head was then sliced off."

"If someone is willing to mutilate an innocent puppy due to the very nature of the owner's career, then it is possible that the suspect is willing to go even farther and attack innocent children or family members to make a statement," the police statement added.

Parsons Police Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd added, "Our officers are attacked, hit, kicked, bit, scratched, called every name in the book and even spit on, as a part of our job, but this kind of senseless attack on a puppy at the home of an officer can't be tolerated."

Authorities initially offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, but that reward spiked to $4,000 after residents added donations. from residents.