Hundreds have shared photos on social media of a pit bull that was killed near 215 beltway and North Durango Drive, found with its mouth tied up with a tow strap.
Coincidentally, pit bull rescuer and advocate Ralph Mansch happened to be driving by with his son when they spotted the dog running toward the freeway.
They swerved out of the way to avoid hitting the dog, but the dog was then hit by another driver.
Mansch and his son quickly stopped to try and rescue the dog, but it was too late.
"I kept saying don't go, don't go," Mansch's son Tyler says.
Before the dog died, they made sure to take off a tow strap that had been used to tie the dog's mouth shut. They believe someone did that to keep the dog from barking, and that the dog was likely running away from a life of abuse.
They're now hoping by sharing the pictures on Facebook, someone will be able to track down the dog's original owners to find out if he was sold and who may have abused him.
Mansch says this kind of abuse is all too common across the valley. He's rescued several other dogs from other situations of abuse.
