There have been two alleged cases of dog abuse in St Joseph county this week and Tuesday night, a rare reward was offered for an arrest in one of those cases.

The St Joseph County Humane Society announced they were offering a 500 dollar reward after a beaten and starved dog was turned in. It's rare for the shelter to offer a reward but the case is disturbing. Now more people are encouraged to report animal abuse early on before it's too late.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak says recently after holding training sessions for local law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys, hopefully the public will know action is being taken.

“The biggest concern folks have right now is simply detecting where the animal abuse has occurred, finding out who is responsible, and going forward,” says Dvorak.

“I think we as a community, and this office, are committed to the fight against animal cruelty,” says prosecuting attorney Cara Brook. “It’s not only for animals but studies have proven that when an animal is being abused in the home, there are likely others being abused in the home.”

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund Indiana ranks number seven in animal protection laws. Illinois and Michigan were in the top five.