An Erie County SPCA spokesperson said Charlie, the dog found in a garbage tote in January, was put down on Friday, February 15.

The organization announced the pit bull’s death in a news conference held on Saturday afternoon.

The SPCA said Charlie was euthanized following changes in his behavior. They said he became more aggressive throughout the week. They said the behavior he exhibited was consistent with the behavior of dogs who have been trained to fight.

Charlie was described as chewing through metal and showed aggressive behavior towards other dogs, the SPCA said.

“The most humane thing for Charlie was to make this call,” said Gina Browning, the Chief Communications Officer for the SPCA serving Erie County.

Charlie was found at about 8:30 a.m. on January 22, somewhere in Buffalo’s Bailey Walden area, as a sanitation worker was dumping a tall garbage tote into the truck.

An investigation into who put Charlie into the tote is being conducted by the SPCA. Anyone with information can call 875-7360.