Many dog lovers have been anticipating the Jan. 27 release of the movie “A Dog’s Purpose,” a tear-jerker about a reincarnated pooch who teaches people how to love and laugh.
But disturbing behind-the-scenes footage posted today on TMZ.com shows that the filmmakers have a lot to learn about love and compassion for animals. Anyone who does care about animals should scratch “A Dog’s Purpose” off their must-see list — or, for that matter, their ever-see list.
The video shows a visibly terrified German Shepherd being forced to go into a pool as the dog tries to get away and claws at the edges. Eight outboard motors were used to create strong waves so the pool would resemble a rushing river, TMZ reports.
When the German Shepherd was finally forced into the pool, he or she was submerged — which may not have been in the script. Someone shouts “Cut it!” and handlers rescue the poor dog.
The trailer for “A Dog’s Purpose” shows the German Shepherd in the water.
A dog’s purpose is not to be mistreated by humans. Please see my Care2.com story for updated information about this incident and join me in boycotting “A Dog’s Purpose.”
The video is very difficult to watch, but has been viewed over 18 million times since Wednesday. A dog that appears to be a Pit Bull mix jumps through the passenger window into an Audi sedan parked on a street in City Terrace, near Los Angeles. A man gets out of the car, carrying the dog, and flings it over a cliff. The obese, bespectacled loser looks around as he walks back to his car, checking to see if anyone is watching.
Fortunately, someone living across the street witnessed this heinous act unfold two weeks ago via a surveillance camera on his house. The good Samaritan, who asked not to be identified, immediately began searching for the dog.
“I came out here with my flashlight looking around, I was making some noise trying to get her attention and sure enough I saw her behind a bush off the cliff,” he told FOX 11.
Amazingly, the poor dog not only survived the 15- to 20-foot fall without any injuries. A bush stopped her from falling farther.
“She’s a very nice dog and very kind,” another nearby resident, Ruben Roque, told FOX 11. “I don’t know how somebody can do that to this dog.”
Roque fostered the dog, who he calls “Girl,” until she was taken by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control as evidence in its animal cruelty investigation. Roque, who’s a combat veteran, hopes to adopt her and show her what a loving forever home is like. In a nice gesture, L.A. Animal Control said they’ll drop the adoption fees for Roque when his Girl is ready to go home. [Happy Update: Roque officially adopted Girl on Oct. 19 and has renamed her Hera, after the Greek goddess.]
According to FOX 11, neighbors believe Girl had belonged to the man who tried to kill her. After he drove off, he returned to the neighborhood to look for her.
“I told him to pound sand, get out of here the cops, are on the way,” the neighbor told FOX 11. Wait, what? Why not ask him — or force him, if necessary — to stick around so he could be arrested and charged with animal cruelty?
Roque, on the other hand, wants the loser prosecuted. The first day it was posted, Oct. 12, the video was viewed over 5 million times. As of now, two days later, it has been viewed xx times.
Hopefully at least one of those millions of viewers will recognize this monster and do something about it..
“The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control was shocked and horrified to see this video,” its director, Marcia Mayeda, said in a statement to FOX 11. “Animal cruelty is a serious crime, and the department is thoroughly investigating this case to identify the perpetrator and identify which criminal charges may be referred to the District Attorney’s office. We hope this individual will be identified by a FOX 11 viewer so we can complete our investigation and find justice for the beautiful, sweet dog.”
If you recognize this piece of garbage, please contact the East Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 323-264-4151 or the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control at 562-728-4882.
Earlier this month, an emaciated Pit Bull mama and her three starving puppies were seized from the backyard of their Pico Rivera, Calif., home after the photo above was posted by Janette Gonzalez on Facebook. A friend of hers took the picture and alerted her to the starving dogs.
The mother, her puppies and five other dogs were taken to the high-kill Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) shelter in Downey, Calif., where officials said they would be held as evidence during an animal cruelty investigation. The shelter refused to release the dogs to rescue organizations.
Just three weeks later, while the investigation continues, all the dogs have been rehabilitated and are now ready for adoption, KDOC reports.
Shelter workers have named the mom and her pups Pee Wee, Darla, Alfalfa and Spanky.
“Compared to the condition that we found them in, compared to now, it’s wonderful to see such an improvement,” Denise Woodside of SEAACA told KDOC.
“These dogs have made a remarkable recovery. They’re very loving, as you can see. They love to play. They’re full of energy and looking for wonderful families to give them great new beginnings.”
The miracle dogs are available at the SEAACA shelter, located at 9777 Seaaca St., Downey. The phone number is 562-803-3301.
Most recently, a Chihuahua puppy with what appeared to be chemical burns was found in Boyle Heights on Oct. 8. This was the first known attack on a dog in the City of Los Angeles.
A reward that’s increased to $50,000 has been offered for information leading to the conviction of the abuser(s).
But the initial findings in a controversial report by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conclude it wasn’t a person who burned the dogs with some kind of chemical — in almost all cases, the abuser was the sun.
“Both animal forensic experts and veterinary experts formed the opinion the dogs were not intentionally burnt, but suffering from burns caused by the sun, solar thermal necrosis,” the LACSD said in a statement, KNBC reports.
“If a dog was burned with any substance anywhere on their body, it is common behavior they will scratch at it with their paws or attempt to lick the injured area. None of the dogs had burns to their paws, mouths or tongues.”
(Wouldn’t it be pretty difficult, if not impossible, for a dog to reach a burn down the middle of his back with his tongue, or even a paw?)
Investigators looked at 10 cases. Nine of the dogs had been discovered with burns during the past three months. Only one dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel found back in 2012, had suffered chemical burns, according to the report.
One of the nine dogs was Fergus, a stray Golden Retriever found burned in Lancaster two months ago. He has recovered from his injury and was adopted this week. His veterinarian, Dr. Alan Schulman, was shocked with the LACSD’s findings, and sticks by his original diagnosis of an acid burn.
“I’m flat-out stunned,” he told KNBC. “I must’ve been absent from vet school that day.”
A woman from Doggy Smiles Rescue who’s fostering Taco, another of the burn victims, told KNBC the report was “ridiculous.”
“His skin was literally peeling off his back and it pretty much went clear down to the bone,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s not the sun’s fault.”
L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich told KNBC he is very concerned about the welfare of dogs. He said that as the LACSD investigation continues, the $50,000 reward is still being offered.
Anyone with information is asked to call L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Gore at 661-940-3851 or the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control at 661-974-8096.
SEPT. 17, 2015 UPDATE: Jason Johnson, the suspect in the Riverside County Animal Services shelter break-in, has been arrested.
Some pathetic excuses for human beings have broken into animal shelters in Tennessee and California over the past few days, apparently for the sole purpose of harming and killing dogs.
Intruder Starts a Dog Fight in Tennessee Shelter
Late Thursday night, one or more intruders broke into the Best Friends Sanctuary in Jamestown, Tenn. The loser(s) removed a Pit Bull named Sam from his locked cage and placed him in a cage with a Boxer named Bucky.
Then the intruder(s) encouraged the dogs to fight each other. It must have taken a lot of persuading for Sam. Shelter volunteer Chrissi Colquitt told WBIR Sam is “the sweetest dog you could imagine.”
When she and other shelter staff arrived for work Friday morning, they found Sam and Bucky bloody and covered with puncture wounds. Bucky had to be euthanized. It will take several weeks for Sam to recover from his injuries.
“It’s just sad to see that someone would be that evil and put two dogs to watch it for a show, you know, to put them through that,” Sharon Cravens, president of the shelter, told WBIR.
The Best Friends Sanctuary is a nonprofit run by volunteers. A crowdfunding page that was originally created to raise money for a fence upgrade is now asking for funds for surveillance cameras. As of early Sunday afternoon, about $600 of the $3,000 goal has been raised.
There is currently a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the loser(s) who did this. Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 931-879-5871.
3 Dogs Dead, 12 Missing after Southern California Shelter Break-In
“We found blood spatter everywhere,” John Welsh, spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services, told KTLA today, describing the horrific scene this morning at its shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif.
Staff arrived around 6:30 a.m. to find seven dogs roaming free. Two dogs — a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier mix — were dead.
“Their deaths do not appear to be consistent with bite wounds — in other words, the bigger dogs causing the injuries to the dogs,” Welsh told KTLA.
“There were some blood markings that were about 3 feet off the ground. We don’t know exactly what caused that, but we don’t suspect that an animal jumped into the air and caused that blood splatter.”
Dr. Allan Drusys, Riverside County’s chief veterinarian, will perform necropsies on the two dogs to determine the cause of their deaths.
The Press Enterprise reports that one of the two victims had been brought to the shelter yesterday to be spayed. My heart goes out to that dog’s owner, who has been notified.
A German Shepherd that had been in the shelter was also found dead about a mile away. It had been hit by a car.
Fortunately, this shelter does have security cameras. Surveillance footage shows a man in dark clothing cutting through the locks on the cages. This creep broke into a total of 22 cages, leaving 15 of the locks stacked neatly in a pile.
Welsh told the Press Enterprise the incident was extremely upsetting for Riverside County Animal Services.
“We’re in the business of trying to save lives, we’re in the business of getting animals back to their rightful owners,” he said. “Our team was devastated.”
This afternoon it was announced that two non-profit organizations that work with the shelter — Animal Solutions Konnections (ASK) and Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START) — are offering a $20,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to a conviction. To contribute to the reward amount, call ASK at 951-777-5341.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 951-776-1099, or to fill out the Crime Tips form on the department’s website.
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