A small dog who authorities say had suffered significant abuse before it was thrown over a veterinary clinic’s fence in Anaheim remained in critical condition on Friday, Nov. 14.
Surveillance video from the University Veterinary Center on Glenoaks Avenue shows the dog inside a plastic bag getting tossed over a fence by a woman around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, Nov. 12, landing in the clinic’s backyard.
The injured canine was found by Dr. Ash Hakhamian, a veterinarian at the clinic.
“I can’t find words to describe why anybody would do something like that, and it’s hard to find the right words,” Hakhamian told television news organizations. “I mean, thrown is an understatement. He sustained mental trauma, even far beyond his physical trauma.”
“He face-planted,” Hakhamian added in an interview with ABC 7. “That’s what broke his fall. … his face.”
According to the clinic, Anaheim police and Orange County Animal Care are involved and the dog is “receiving around-the-clock care to ensure he is recovering from both his injuries and ongoing medical needs.”
Fox 11 reported the injured dog is a male Maltese mix.
In addition to the trauma and severe bruising, Hakhamian says the dog is severely anemic, malnourished and was covered in fleas.
“His nails are so long, they have curled and gone back into his paw,” he said. “That’s a type of neglect that proceeds this trauma, it proceeds this abuse.”
Officer Breana Castro with Anaheim Police Department said the woman has been interviewed by detectives. “Her statement was taken, and it is going to be presented to the district attorney’s office for charges,” Castro said.
While he believes the dog will recover from his injuries, Hakhamian feels there was no excuse for discarding an animal in this fashion.
“There are so many rescue groups in Southern California,” he told Fox 11. “There’s no excuse to throw a dog in a grocery bag and toss it over a fence.”
