Police: Injured Pit Bull May Have Been Hit by Vehicle

Police in Savage are trying to figure out how a family's pit bull ended up with serious injuries and graffiti on its back.

Robert Cole is the owner of the 4-year-old pit bull, named Cesar. On Thursday, Cole told 5 EYEWITNESS News he believed someone took Cesar from his yard, then beat and stabbed the dog.

Cesar, who managed to walk home, lost a lot of blood and almost died.

On Friday, Savage Police said the dog is not believed to have been abducted or beaten. Investigators believe Cesar and another dog escaped on their own from a fenced enclosure. Witnesses reported seeing both dogs running in a several block area. At the time, both dogs were uninjured.

Police believe Cesar's injuries are consistent with injuries that may have been caused by being hit by a vehicle.

Cesar also returned home with writing on his fur. At this point, the writing on Cesar remains unexplained.

Midwest Animal Rescue and Services, where Cesar helps trainers rehabilitate other dogs, is conducting its own investigation into the incident. On Friday the group said Cesar's wounds did not contain any road debris and were more clean-cut than the jagged wounds typically associated with being hit by a car.

Watch our original story on Cesar's injuries above.