A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person that wrapped a rubber band around a poodle’s muzzle, animal rights advocates announced Thursday.
The San Diego Animal Advocates is offering the money for a conviction that could result in a hefty $20,000 fine and up to three years in prison.
“Animal abuse cannot be tolerated by a civil society, whether that abuse is the result of wanton cruelty or of ignorant disregard for the animal’s well-being,” Jane Cartmill, President of San Diego Animal Advocates, in a press release.
The mutilated pup was found after a Southern California resident in the 2900 block of Ocean View Boulevard came across the it running loose in a nearby park, according to a news release from the San Diego County Department of Animal Services.
The resident reported the discovery to the Department of Animal Services. An animal control officer responded and found the female white poodle and saw the dog had multiple rubber bands wrapped around its muzzle.
The poodle was treated at the department’s animal care facility; veterinary staff removed the rubber bands, which had been on the dog so long that the bands had cut all the way down to the bone, animal services officials said.
Dawn Danielson, director of animal services, said in a news release the act may have been intended to quiet the dog from barking, “however, their actions have caused this poor dog to suffer horrendous pain for a very long time.”
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Animal services officials said they’ve launched an animal abuse investigation and need the public’s help tracking down the person responsible.
Anyone with information on the incident should contact the county Department of Animal Services at (619) 767-2740. They can also anonymously call CrimeStoppers at (888) 580-8477.
