The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is investigating whether the death of a dog found in a garbage can in Carmichael is connected to the return home of another dog with tape around its muzzle in the community.

The dead dog was found in a garbage can on Cardinal Court, near Kenneth and Garfield avenues, on Friday morning. The dog, wrapped in a table cloth, had a stereo speaker cord, with a speaker still attached, around its neck.

It is not clear if the dog was killed, accidentally strangled itself or died of natural causes.

Also on Friday, in the same general vicinity, deputies responded to a report from a man on Braninburg Court who said his two dogs went missing from his front yard. One of them returned with a cord around its neck and blue painter’s tape around its jaws, according to Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Bowman.

The other dog was later found down the street, hiding under a parked car.