Bulldog of former Patriots player Jerod Mayo found dead at trainer's home after cover-up

A 5-year-old English bulldog that belonged to former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was found dead on Monday in Rhode Island, according to the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

The RISPCA concluded an investigation this week in which they determined the dog's death occurred under the care of trainer Amelia Ferreira when his body was recovered at her home.

Mayo's dog, Knox, was reported missing June 28 by Ferreira, who told the Wrentham (R.I.) Police Department the dog got lost on a walk, according to post on the department's Facebook page. The police did not find anything in the surrounding area but did locate the dog's collar on a trail nearby. Ferreira later changed her story to say Knox went missing after escaping from the crate in her apartment, according to Boston.com. 

The Cranston (R.I.) Police Department charged Ferreira with one count of obstruction, noting that "evidence revealed that Ferreira (had) known the whereabouts of Knox's deceased body for several weeks and intentionally concealed his body from authorities."

"Cause of death is currently unknown, and additional charges relating to animal cruelty may follow, pending the results of a necropsy," RISPCA officials said in an official statement on its website. 

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Mayo posted on Monday a photo on Instagram of the dog with a lengthy statement that called the incident "disgusting and inhumane."

The Wrentham Police Department's Facebook message in June sought information on the then-missing dog's whereabouts, in which "mysterious circumstances" were detailed. 

The post read:

"The trainer called the police, the police responded, the area was searched, but no sign of Knox. Strange, because we're told English Bulldogs aren't the running type, short legs, bad cardio, so even if Knox wandered, the expectation was he'd be found quickly. But...he wasn't.

"Now the twist. His collar was found relatively quickly after Knox went missing, a hop and a skip from where he was last seen, laying right out in the open, on the trail. And it's not an ordinary collar, it's an "E-Collar", a larger than normal collar, essentially an electronic collar device for training dogs."

Mayo, 32, last played in the NFL in 2015. He spent his entire eight-season career with the Patriots, who selected him 10th overall in the 2008 draft.