Hunt Continues For Suspect Who Burned, Dumped 3-Week-Old Puppy
SHERMAN OAKS (CBSLA) -- She was found burned and dumped.
Officials are continuing their search Thursday for the person or persons who burned a puppy and left it to die in a dumpster.
The 3-week-old puppy is surprisingly still alive but has a long road of recovery ahead.
CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Chris Holmstrom says the puppy is being cared for at a veterinarian's office in Sherman Oaks.
"The primary wound started right here on the back of her neck and all of skin sloughed off going down the back," says veterinarian Dr Brian McGrath.
The puppy is a pit bull mix found abused and left for dead in Coachella.
Officials said a homeless man was digging through a dumpster Sunday afternoon when he heard the dog's whimpering.
He found the female puppy inside a plastic bag.
Georgina Zazueta took over from there and rescued the pooch. She said he was in bad shape.
"Very bad, bleeding and crying and very bad," said Zazueta.
She got help immediately and was put in touch with Animal Hope and Wellness -- from there the puppy was taken to the vet at the McGrath Veterinary Center.
She was in critical condition with severe burns over 30 percent of her body.
"Generally to cause complete necrosis of the skin like that is one of two causes -- either contact with something very, very hot, a contact thermal burn or getting something poured on that's chemically corrosive," McGrath said.
The veterinary staff never gave up hope. And as the days go on, her recovery seems more likely.
"Combating those complications she has not developed an infection, her blood work is getting normal. And she's getting less painful and she's growing more skin everyday," McGrath says.
Not to mention a big fan of milk.
Her recovery still begs the question -- what kind of monster is capable of doing such an act of cruelty?
The hope and wellness center is working with authorities to find out.
"We don't know who did it yet, we know there are some videos that are being reviewed but we don't have an update yet," says the Director of the Animal Hope and Wellness clinic, Ellie Roberto.
In the meantime, Hope (her new name) continues to recover and once she's better, she'll be reunited with her new family.
"I mean, what a little puppy can do to you to deserve that kind of thing?" says Zazueta.
Holmstrom reports there is a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest of the person who dumped Hope in the trash.