By JASON KOLNOS
STAFF WRITER
WEST BARNSTABLE - Two young pit bulls were found dead yesterday morning on a small path near the town's firing range.

They had been shot 37 times.

''This was an execution,'' Barnstable police Sgt. Sean Sweeney said.

''This was not a humane act in any way.''

The dogs were found about 7:15 a.m. by a couple walking their Labrador retriever on a path leading to conservation land off the Service Road, near the Sandwich town line, police said. The dogs, which police estimated were between 2 and 4 years old, were found lying close together, riddled with bullets from their heads to their hindquarters.

Neither dog was wearing a collar, identification tags or a leash, nor were any found in the area.

The remains were taken to a local veterinarian for evaluation.

Police and the veterinarian determined that the dogs were what breeders call American Staffordshire terriers or Staffordshire bull terriers.

Pit bull is not a specific breed of dog, but rather a term used to describe several breeds of dogs with similar physical characteristics.

The American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier commonly fall under the pit bull category.

The male dog was about 60 pounds with an auburn coat.

The female, weighing 45 pounds, was auburn with white patches like a spaniel, Sweeney said.

Both looked to have been relatively healthy and neither had scar marks typical of fighting pit bulls, Sweeney added.

Police found used shell casings in two separate piles and a trail of blood leading down the path.

The bullets came from a .223-caliber gun, Sweeney said, possibly a semiautomatic rifle.

The dogs were likely shot between 5 and 7 a.m. yesterday, the police said.

They believe someone led the dogs onto the path, where they then headed into the woods, away from the road.

With the dogs about 30 feet ahead, the shooter allegedly pumped them with 29 bullets. The casings were found in the same area.

The wounded and bleeding animals then probably struggled another 60 to 70 feet to the spot where they were eventually found dead.

The shooter then allegedly followed the dogs and fired another eight rounds at close range to finish them off, police said.

The dogs were mostly shot in the hindquarters, spine, back and head.

''We can tell they were trying to run away based on the striations from the bullets and observing the wound patterns,'' Sweeney said.

Possible punishment is five years or less in state prison or 2½ years in a correctional facility.

Barnstable Town Clerk Linda Hutchenrider said the town has licenses for 68 dogs identified as pit bulls, out of more than 4,000 dogs registered.

Jason Kolnos can be reached at jkolnos@capecodonline.com.

(Published: June 1, 2006)