Horrific security footage went viral after someone broke into a dog rescue and aggressively pulled a dog out of her crate. The suspect left the building with the dog, despite the cries of all the dogs in the room.
Not long after the break-in, the stolen dog was found in critical condition on the side of the freeway. Sadly, she didn’t survive long enough to receive treatment. The suspect was nowhere to be found, but they won’t get away that easily. Dog lovers have raised $17,000 in reward money to ensure this pup gets justice.
Robbery Leads to Dog’s Death
One night, security footage at the Paw Works Camarillo facility captured a thief breaking into a room with dozens of dogs in crates. In the video, a person wearing a hoodie walked around the room and shined a flashlight on several dogs. At one point, they stopped to try and take a dog out of their crate, but the dog fought back and tried to bite the person.
So, the suspect gave up and moved on to another dog: a 2-year-old Shepherd mix named Pretty Girl. Pretty Girl also resisted, but the suspect aggressively yanked her out of her crate and hit her several times. Then, he left the facility with the stolen dog.
RELATED: Thieves Break Into Animal Shelter, Leave With 3 Quarantined Dogs
The rescue searched for Pretty Girl for several hours, and a Good Samaritan found her injured on the side of the freeway. They rushed her to the Paw Works Veterinary Hospital, but she died shortly after.
“We think she was fighting for her life, she is not a dog that takes easy to strangers. She is a very loyal dog and if you saw in that video she was fighting him off and he was hitting her,” Paw Works wrote on Instagram.
Finding Pretty Girl’s Killer
When the stranger found Pretty Girl, the pup had back, neck, and head trauma. She also had bruising and bleeding in her abdomen and swelling around her rectum. Rescue staff members believe she jumped out of a moving car or was pushed after she continued to fight back. But sadly, there’s still no information about the suspect.
Thanks to the community, Paw Works was able to offer a $12,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) added $5,000 to the reward money to bring it up to $17,000.
“This vulnerable dog needed someone to love and care for her, but instead, someone stole her, abused her, and left her for dead,” said Colleen O’Brien, PETA senior vice president. “PETA urges anyone with information to come forward so her killer can be prevented from hurting anyone else.”
Anyone with information about the suspect should call or text (805) 799-3937. For other ways to help, consider donating to Paw Works to help them support more dogs.
Watch the Heartbreaking Security Footage Here:
Featured Image: Facebook
Toledo, United States.
