WOODLAND – A national agency that advocates for the protection of animals has posted a reward of up to $2,500 for the arrest and conviction of whoever is behind the gruesome slaying of three dogs in this tiny Aroostook County town earlier this month.

The rural town lies west of Caribou.

The Humane Society of the United States became involved after the case was made public. According to a press release, three dead dogs, two wrapped in plastic bags and one wrapped in a garbage bag, have been found in a remote area of the town during the past few weeks. The last dog, a female Brittany spaniel, was found April 13 wrapped in a garbage bag on a dirt road.

The dog, which investigators believe was a family pet, had suffered severe head trauma.

It is not yet clear how the other two animals died or how long their remains had been in the woods.

The Humane Society of the United States, which has nearly 10 million members, strives to promote the protection of all animals both in the United States and abroad. According to its Web site, the society is the nation’s largest and most powerful animal protection organization, and fights animal cruelty and abuse.

In its press release, the agency noted that “the connection between animal cruelty and human violence” has been well-documented.

Studies of prison inmates show that 75 percent of violent offenders had early records of animal cruelty. A 1983 study of New Jersey families referred to youth and family services for child abuse further reported that 88 percent of the cases had at least one member of the household who physically abused animals.

The incident in Aroostook County comes nearly a year after three juveniles were arrested in Presque Isle for cutting, beating and stabbing to death a dog they stole from the yard of a local resident.

Benjamin Benedict, 16, and Joshua Dunn, 17, were both sentenced in connection with the crime last summer and are in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Anyone with information about the current case is asked to contact Jennifer Howlett, humane agent with the Maine Animal Welfare Program, at 287-3846.