Cruel Treatment Of 4-Month-Old Puppy Caught On Humane Society Cameras

 

TAMPA, FL — The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is seeking the identity of a man who threw a 4-month-old puppy over a 6-foot-high fence at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, fracturing the puppy's leg.

On Saturday at 8:40 p.m., as Tampa Bay families of all faiths prepared to celebrate the holy days of Easter, Passover and Ramadan, a man pulled up to the Humane Society shelter at 3607 N Armenia Ave., Tampa, in a gray pickup truck.

What happened next was caught on the Humane Society's surveillance cameras and horrified shelter staff and volunteers who watched the videotape.

The man reached into the back of his pickup truck and picked up a 4-month-old puppy by the skin of its neck. He then walked over to the 6-foot fence surrounding the shelter's dog play yard and flung the puppy over the fence, fracturing the humerus of the puppy's left leg.

Staff who came to care for the animals on Easter morning found the frightened puppy limping, covered in its own feces and starving.

Despite the cruel treatment, the staff said the male puppy they named Sonny has a sweet, happy disposition.

"Sonny is now in good hands and, after the extensive medical care he will need, he will be ready to find a loving and caring home," said Humane Society Executive Director Sherry Silk.

Unfortunately, she said, the surveillance cameras were unable to record the license plate of the pickup truck or get a good look at the man's face.

This isn't the first act of cruelty that has greeted shelter workers on Easter morning. Last year, staff arrived to find a 3-year-old dog left outside the shelter in a bucket.

"We're all for surrendering an animal you can no longer care for, but for the wellbeing of the animal, please do it the right way," Silk said.

Those who are no longer able to care for a pet or have found a stray they cannot keep, can surrender the pet free of charge at the Humane Society's intake department located on the lower level of the shelter from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Those surrendering pets are urged to call the shelter first at 813-876-7138, ext. 0, or email Intake@HumaneSocietyTampa.org to make sure the shelter has space for the pet.

Anyone who has any information on the man in the gray pickup truck should email the Humane Society at communications@humanesocietytampa.org, so the nonprofit can file an animal cruelty complaint with police.