A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of abusing a dog in Long Beach earlier this week — an attack that was captured on video and went viral after it was shared on social media, authorities said.
Long Beach police on Tuesday night, April 2, arrested the suspect in the 800 block of Pine Avenue, police said. The tan dog with floppy ears was rescued and with Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Police said they plan to share updates on the dog’s condition “when appropriate, as the investigation remains ongoing.”
The Long Beach man, who had a skateboard and a backpack with him, was accused of slamming the dog onto the ground multiple times by its leash on Monday, April 21, then kicking the animal. The attack prompted the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to offer a $5,000 reward leading to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Whether anyone provided a tip to the police to help them identify the suspect was not disclosed.
“He swings the dog over his shoulder, slams the dog onto the ground, kicks the dog in the face, hoists the animal back up, and walks out of sight with the dog hanging behind his back,” PETA spokeswoman Nicole Perreria said in a statement.
The mistreatment occurred in the 200 block of East 12th Street just past 5:30 a.m., police said. Apartments are nearby.
The man was booked into jail on suspicion of felony intentional animal cruelty, felony taking a vehicle without an owner’s consent, three misdemeanor counts of possessing unlawful paraphernalia, and single misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and driving while using an electronic communication device, according to police arrest log.
The apparent surveillance video was place on an Instagram account of the Kris Kelly Foundation, a rescue organization. The post led to more than 2,500 comments — many expressing shocked by the video, while others said they went looking around the neighborhood where the attack occurred in hopes of finding the man and the dog.
“Im ready to go look for this guy!” one commenter wrote. “Someone know who this man is. i am so mad i am in tears.”
“Absolutely sickening hope they can find this poor baby,” another said.
“Calling on the universe to find this evil person and deal with him accordingly,” wrote a third.
Said Colleen O’Brien, a PETA senior vice president, in a statement before the arrest: “Dogs rely on us to keep them safe, and this dog suffered a violent attack that utterly betrayed that trust — and who knows what abuse he or she has suffered that hasn’t been caught on camera.”
