Animal abuse shown on video triggers police investigation and $5,000 reward for information on attacker
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Police are searching for a man who was caught on video throwing a dog to the ground and kicking it in Long Beach.
Animal Hope and Wellness posted the Instagram video, which was recorded Monday near 235 E. 12th St.
“The man in this video is severely abusing this poor pup without mercy and needs to be found asap,” the group wrote in the caption. “All we can tell is that the man has a skateboard, and so the other skaters in the area may be able to identify who this is.”
In the video, the man lifts a dog off the ground by a leash before slamming the animal to the ground and kicking it.
Police said the owner of the mini poodle tried to intervene and was bitten by the pit bull as well. Video footage of the pit bull’s owner has been released.
The Long Beach Police Department said it was investigating but hadn’t said whether anyone had been arrested.
“Patrol officers have responded to the area and taken an animal cruelty report, as the incident had not been previously reported to the department,” the department wrote in an X post on Monday. “Animal abuse is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a statement that the organization is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the man in the video.
“This dog was violently attacked — and who knows what other abuse has not been caught on camera,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in the statement. “Someone knows this man, and PETA urges anyone with information to come forward immediately — it could save the dog’s life.”
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