Pembroke Pines Police are looking for those responsible for beating a family dog to death and then tagging a handwritten note to the dead animal with an angry-looking smiley face and "WE BEAT IT 2 DEATH lol! HAHAHA!" written on it.

The dog, a 13-year-old Pomeranian named Fox, was discovered by the family in the back of their home on Saturday.

Fox apparently went missing from the family's home, located at 7980 N. French Drive in Pembroke Pines, on Friday afternoon.

The dog's owner, Verline Bartheleny , told WSVN that she was cooking and called Fox to come in. When the dog didn't appear, she became concerned.

Fox wasn't found until the next day by a neighbor on the back porch. The neighbor took a photo of the dog rolled up in a ball with the taunting note attached to his body.

According to police, the attending veterinarian at Saint Francis Animal Hospital who conducted an examination found blunt-force trauma on the dog's body. Fox suffered broken ribs, and his injuries appeared consistent with someone repeatedly kicking him.

"He had ten broken ribs along one side of the body, and his stomach was up in his lungs," said Dr. Ron Ridge.

Fox also suffered a broken spine, a broken jaw, and a ruptured stomach.

Missing Pembroke Pines dog found with "We beat it 2 death lol!" note on dog's body http://t.co/vSFm9IN5L1 pic.twitter.com/wVhLr7ATdJ — Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) August 11, 2015

Pembroke Pines says it won't release further information at this time, as this is an ongoing investigation, but says that the dog's murder appears to be an isolated incident and that there's no evidence to believe that other animals in the area are in danger.

Barheleny and the rest of the family are left heartbroken and confused as to who is responsible for the heinous act and why.

"Fox was like one of my kids," Bartheleny told WSVN. "I've had him for a long time. It hurts."

The Pembroke Pines Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact it at 954-431-2200, email to Tips@ppines.com, or call Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

