May 3, 2006 -- Neighbors say no one lives on the property where they found a dog that had choked himself with the chain he was tied down with. Neighbors say the owner just came and dumped his animals on the vacant property.

Mauro Perez made the horrific discovery at his neighbor's property Wednesday morning.

Disturbing, very disturbing," said Perez. He explained the owner chained the dog up at a vacant trailer about a month ago and said he rarely stopped by to check up on the animal. Perez said he and his family would often feed him.

"Every time I would come and give him food, he would come and shake his tail. I guess he started liking me because I would give him food and water, not the owner," said Perez.

Perez called KFOX and Jessie Miller with the Animal Cruelty Heartline. The dog died a very horrible death. "He was suffocating. He choked to death and it wasn't something instant," said Miller. She suspects the dog had been dead several days, by the flies swarming around and the smell. She made contact with the owner, who Miller said could not get his story straight and didn't show up to the scene.

"This time this guy is not going get away with it. We're going prosecute him for animal cruelty," said Miller.

The Sheriff's Office was called in to investigate and begin the process for a warrant.

"The owner of the pet could be charged with cruelty to animals, which is a Class-A misdemeanor," said Sgt. Ryan Urrutia with the El Paso Sheriff's Office.