Savage Police Department officials said Friday afternoon that they now believe Cesar the pit bull may not have been beaten or attacked.

Medical and physical examination of the injuries that Cesar incurred were not consistent with being beaten or stabbed, police said.

Instead, policy say Cesar’s injuries are consistent with injuries that may have been caused by being struck by a car.

The writing on Cesar's back stating, "Back Off Bob" remains unexplained, police said.

Some media reports also said the dog had been abducted, but at this time the physical evidence, witness statements and investigative data have determined that there was not an abduction, according to police. Police also said information not released or verified by the Savage Police Department spread quickly via social media, which could have led to some confusion.

Police say Cesar and another family dog appeared to have escaped on their own from a fenced yard on the 5400 block of West 132nd Lane. Witnesses reported seeing both dogs running at large in a several block area and that both dogs were uninjured. About 20 minutes later, Cesar appeared in the familly's driveway, limping and bloodied. The two other dogs, a black lab and Chihuahua mix, were unharmed. 

Savage police initially responded to the call Wednesday, July 25 at 2:31 p.m. that two dogs had possibly been taken from their yard and returned beaten.

The Savage Police Department’s investigation is ongoing and they've offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Savage Police at 952-882-2600. 

Follow Shakopee Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter