English Bulldog found drowned in Chattahoochee River, woman arrested

COBB COUNTY, Ga. – An arrest has been made in a horrific case of animal cruelty in Cobb County. A woman was accused of putting her dog in a cage and drowning the dog in the Chattahoochee River.

“It’s a heinous crime, it’s downright evil that someone would do something like that,” said Steve Hammond, director of Cobb County Animal Services.

A 2-year-old English Bulldog was found in a cage at the bottom of the river near Cochran Shoals. The cage was weighted with stones.

“We found rocks in the cage where the dog drowned. Together they weigh about eight pounds,” Hammond said.

The dog’s body was sent to UGA for a necropsy which determined the cause of death was drowning.

“Once we got the results back and were able to confirm that the dog had actually drowned rather than being dead and placed in the river, just an improper disposal, we were able to start the case,” Hammond said.

Researchers were able to track down the owner because the dog had a microchip. They say Timorro Rogo was the owner of the animal. She is charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.

Hammond said what makes this whole thing even worse is that if the owner no longer wanted the dog, he could have easily found a home for the puppy.

“I can get an English Bulldog adopted or fostered through our rescue partners all day, every day, because it is in high demand. So if she had just taken him to the shelter, we would have accepted him. There is no charge for that bonded, and we would have done everything in our power to get him into a loving home,” Hammond said.

The dog was found in the river in July; Rogo was arrested last week. Hammond said it took time to conduct a thorough investigation and get the autopsy results back.