Puppy discovered burned alive in North Sacramento | News

SACRAMENTO, CA - An $8,500 reward is being offered in hopes to spur someone to come forward with information that can lead authorities to the person who set a live puppy on fire in North Sacramento on Wednesday.

The 4- to 5-month-old female puppy was found on Calvados Avenue and Oakmont Street Wednesday morning, said Gina Knepp, Sacramento Animal Care Services Manager. Knepp said it was the worst case of animal abuse she's ever seen.

"It's disgusting," Knepp said. "And I will never ever forget that dog when she came to our shelter."

Animal Control brought the still-alive pup, a pit bull mix, to the city shelter, but the severity of her injuries necessitated euthanasia a half hour later because she was in so much pain

Knepp said someone poured some type of accelerant and then set her on fire.

Neighbors were outraged at the cruelty.

"It's a puppy. It's a puppy," Darrin Allen said. "Come on man, a 5-month-old puppy."

Allen said he thought the dog was a stray. Animal care services said the dog was in good health. They believe she did have an owner.

One neighbor said he saw the dog on New Year's Eve with a collar. She was found without any identification; no collar and no microchip.

Based on her injuries, animal services believes the puppy was burned recently and near where she was found.

One neighbor came out just as the dog was being taken away.

"The dog was being hauled off in a truck," Javier Castro said. "And the neighbors were out here yelling and looking for the person who had done that to the dog."

Animal services hopes fliers and a hefty reward will help catch the puppy's abuser.

"How could somebody do that to an animal period?" neighbor Cynthia Tognetti asked. "If they can do that to an animal, they can do that to a human being."

Neighbors are now taking extra precautions with their animals and hope justice will be served.

"I make sure when we take her out to use the bathroom we stay out with her," Tara Thomas said. "Because you never know. It was just right there."

 "For those who did it, God got something later I guess. I don't know," Allen said. "I ain't going to jinx nobody, hate on nobody."

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward up to $5,000; Red Rover is offering another $2,500; Scooter Pals has put up $500 and another $500 was donated by the Coalition for Community Cats, Sacramento County Shelter and a private donor for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the cruelty.

Anyone with information about the crime was asked to call Chief Animal Control Officer Daniel Torres at (916) 808-5855 or Knepp at (916) 808-8333.