Was dead hanging animal even a dog?

A dead animal was found Wednesday evening hanging from a tree in Northeast Philadelphia, but whether it was a dog, as initially reported, and how it died are not yet clear.

A necropsy being performed today should yield answers soon, said Wendy A. Marano, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania SPCA.

"We'll know for sure this afternoon what kind of animal it was," she said.

The badly deposed cadaver likely went undiscovered for at least two days before being spotted on the Delaware River waterfront off the 5600 block of Tacony Street in Bridesburg.

It had a stick in its throat, raising uncertainty about the cause of death.

Its weight of 25 to 30 pounds was in the right range for a dog, Marano said.

Anyone with information about the case can contact the PSPCA at 215-426-6300.