Police say Saucy was intentionally killed by a person or possibly multiple people and they are searching for the culprit(s).

ASTORIA, Ore. — Saucy was reported missing on Saturday, February 29 and was found three days later in the area of 12th Street and Jerome in Irving.

Astoria Police say Saucy was intentionally killed by an unknown person or multiple people. The family is heartbroken and is asking for the public's help in locating the person or persons responsible.

"It’s not cause for alarm, we’re not seeing a string of these. But at the same time it’s important to us and the dog’s owner that we catch the person responsible. So, they don’t try to do this to somebody else’s pet," Astoria Police Chief Chief Geoff Spalding said.

Shellyene Winans, owner of Saucy, is looking for answers. She had Saucy for 10 years and can't imagine why anyone would want to do this to her dog.

"You know you get to that point in a search where you realize you're not going to call for him anymore as you're walking around, and he's not going to come out. I was prepared for that -- but I wasn't prepared to hear it was at the hands of a human"

Saucy was a family member and Winans called him her best friend. She says she cannot understand why this happened.

"That just absolutely breaks my heart and I can't imagine, a little dog like that going through something like this," Winans said.

The person or persons responsible for the crime could face a first-degree aggravated animal abuse charge, according to Spalding. That is a class C felony and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $125,000.

On a national scale, the past few months punishment for animal cruelty has gotten much more severe.

In November President Trump signed a bill, making cruelty to animals a federal crime with a penalty of up to seven years in prison, a fine or both.

That law may apply in Saucy's case. However, the Oregon Human Society says that Oregon already has laws in place to hold offenders accountable.

After knocking on doors in the neighborhood police have run out of leads, according to Spalding. That is why they need to public's help.

"We're just looking for the public's assistance in capturing this sick individual," Spalding said.

There is a $1,000 reward being offered for information that leads to an arrest in Saucy's death.

If you have any information, please call Officer Duryea at 503-325-4411.