BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) – The carcass of an animal found in a trash container with a smashed head and syringes sticking in it may not have been a small, terrier type dog after all, police said.

It now appears the carcass is that of a wild animal, Brattleboro police said.

But police are still seeking information about the incident.

Brattleboro police said Thursday that the carcass of a Scottish terrier was found in a trash bin with major head injuries and had signs it had been injected with a syringe numerous times.

The trash container, which had been stored empty and clean in Brattleboro, was moved to a customer in New Hampshire where the animal was discovered. The trash hauler reported the case to Brattleboro police.

New Hampshire officials initially reported the carcass appeared to be that of a dog, but after further investigation decided it was more likely that of a wild animal.

Police are still seeking information about the incident.

Joanne Bourbeau, regional director of the New England chapter of the Humane Society, said she has never heard of a case where an animal was tortured with syringes.

Bourbeau added that anytime an animal is found tortured in a community, it is cause for residents to be concerned.

“There’s a lot of scientific evidence (linking) animal cruelty and human violence,” she said. “I would be careful that this person might turn to hurting people.”

Animal cruelty statistics are inexact in Vermont, Bourbeau said. “The Vermont Humane Federation just started to track things two years ago, and I think a lot of cases go unreported, so it’s difficult to identify any trends,” she said.

Police encourage anyone with information regarding the terrier to call Barrows at (802) 257-7950.