The Arizona Republic

A public-safety non-profit group is offering a reward in the torture and death of a white-and-brown rabbit found bound with duct tape at the bottom of a canal, its legs tied to a brick.

An animal control officer found the domesticated rabbit Thursday morning after a woman walking her dog saw what she believed was a dog in the canal near Gilbert and McKellips roads.

"I think it is a very disturbed individual," said Mesa animal control officer Diane Brady. "I think it is an adult because it was so deliberate. If it was a teenager or kid messing around they would probably have just done it spur of the moment."
Torture of an animal that leads to death is a class six felony, Brady said.

The rabbit's head was duct taped with just the mouth and nose exposed. Its front legs were placed under its neck and bound with duct tape to prevent the legs from moving. The animal's ears were also taped together, as were its feet, which were tied together and fastened to a brick and submerged under four feet of water in the canal. The crime lab will test the duct tape for DNA evidence.

The Mesa Public Safety Foundation is offering a $250 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact animal control at (480) 644-2044.