RAPID CITY - Authorities say there are no signs of abuse in a dead dog that was found wrapped in duct tape and abandoned in western South Dakota.

A rock hunter found the body Monday on the frozen Cheyenne River in Pennington County. Sheriff's Capt. Corey Brubakken says the dog appeared to be wrapped with great care, leading investigators to believe it had been prepared for burial.

Authorities are still trying to determine who owned the animal and how the dog's body ended up on the river.

Officials estimate the mixed-breed pointer was 7-9 years old.

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