The Loudoun County Department of Animal Services is investigating the apparent dumping of dozens of dead animals into a creek, and many of them appear to be dogs.

Labeled “a state scenic river,” Catoctin Creek near Waterford runs under a single lane bridge on a lightly traveled road that cuts amid the cattle farms and stone-gated mansions.

Following a tip from a News4 viewer, the Northern Virginia Bureau found dozens of animal carcasses in the creek. In one pile, at least 27 of what appear to be dogs can be seen. In a second pile, there are larger animals, possibly deer of livestock.

Dave Daley, who works on a construction site nearby, discovered the carcasses earlier this week and contacted Animal Services.

“I was just driving by and I looked over the side of the bridge and I saw a pile of something that looked strange to me, so I stopped and investigated a little bit more and I determined that they were animal bodies,” he said.

An Animal Services spokeswoman would only confirm an ongoing criminal investigation.

“Well, it's horrifying,” dog owner John Caron said. “Hopefully they can find the perpetrators and jail them. I mean, that's just absolutely horrifying.”

“I'd like to see somebody prosecuted because somebody’s clearly doing something wrong,” Daley said.

Residents also have concerns about possible water contamination. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality oversees waterways, but it's unclear whether Loudoun County has contacted them. The DEQ's northern region director hadn't been informed.