A missing bulldog belonging to former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was reportedly found dead this week inside a closet located at his dog trainer’s home.
Per The Washington Post, off-leash trainer Amelia Ferreira initially told police in June that 5-year-old Knox had vanished during a walk. Then, she reportedly claimed the dog had gone missing from a crate in her Rhode Island apartment.
On Sunday, the Rhode Island SPCA announced that Ferreira was charged with obstruction after the dog’s body was found in her home.
“Evidence revealed that Ferreira has known the whereabouts of Knox’s deceased body for several weeks and intentionally concealed his body from authorities. Cause of death is currently unknown, and additional charges relating to animal cruelty may follow, pending the results of a necropsy,” the statement read.
Mayo took to Instagram Monday to confirm Knox’s death and confirm that the dog was found inside a trash bag in the trainer’s closet.
“It’s disgusting and inhumane that a company full of ‘dog lovers’ would hide a family pet IN A CLOSET FOR TWO MONTHS and compulsively lie and send us on a wild goose hunt and our kids on an emotional roller coaster,” he wrote.
Throughout the ordeal, the ex-NFL player used his large platform to plead for the dog’s safe return. In the Instagram post, he touched on how much time and work was invested into finding his missing dog alive.
He continued, “Staging him running away, him being stolen, even him drowning having us knocking on doors sending us false leads as we searched two states. We’ve hired scuba teams, private investigators, lawyers and more when they knew they HAD HIM IN THEIR HOME IN A TRASH BAG tucked away the whole two months. Yeah A TRASH BAG!”
[Featured Image: Jerod Mayo/Instagram]
