Officials are asking for the public’s help in finding the person responsible for beating a small dog to within an inch of its life and throwing the animal in the garbage in Long Beach over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, someone heard the dog’s whimpers coming from a dumpster in the 1100 block of Walnut Avenue and found her inside a trash bag, said Ted Stevens, manager of Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Volunteers with Fix Long Beach Pets and Animals rushed the dog, whom they named Chloe, to Primary Care Animal Hospital, where vet techs remarked it was the worst abuse case they had seen in 30 years, said Diana Kliche, president of the rescue group’s board of directors.
Chloe, believed to be a Maltese-poodle-terrier mix and less than a year old, was clinging to life. Her fur was matted, and she was covered in bruising, human urine and rancid spaghetti, ham and onions.
Kliche said she thought the dog had died on the way to the animal hospital.
There, doctors discovered Chloe had a skull fracture, a brain injury, and her left back leg was snapped in half — an injury they determined was old, Kliche said.
“It’s horrific,” she said. “We think someone beat her, threw her in the kitchen trash, tied up the bag and then threw it in the dumpster for her to starve to death or suffocate.”
Chloe was transferred to Long Beach Animal Emergency for 24-hour care, where her condition is improving, Kliche said. She needs surgery for her leg, but doctors may need to amputate it. The plan is for Sparky and the Gang Animal Rescue to find her a permanent home after she recovers from her injuries, Kliche said.
Both rescue groups partnered to raise a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Chloe’s abuser and are also raising funds for the dog’s care. On Tuesday, Orange County-based Just Food For Dogs pledged another $10,000 for the reward and to help cover Chloe’s veterinary bills.
Stevens called on residents who live in the area where Chloe was found in the dumpster to see if they recognize her and check their home security-video footage. He asked anyone with information to call Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387.
“We’re going to need help from the public,” Stevens said. “The best thing you can do is ask people if they know anything about this.”
Kliche said Chloe has begun wagging her tail and eating on her own again.
“We didn’t even think she’d survive,” she said. “All she wants is love.”
