COACHELLA (CNS) - The reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who burned a puppy and put her in a plastic bag in a dumpster in Coachella stands at $20,000 today following $5,000 donations from actress Shannen Doherty and model Joanna Krupa.
The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation has received “a number of anonymous tips” and is “hopeful that the person responsible will be caught,” according to a posting on its Facebook page.
The puppy was found May 5 mutilated in a dumpster at a shopping center in the 49000 block of Harrison Street, according to the foundation. She was immediately taken to an emergency clinic.
Named Hope by the daughter of the puppy's rescuer, the 3-week-old pup is under 24-hour care at McGrath Veterinary Center in Sherman Oaks. The shelter said it was “undetermined if she will ever walk again.”
The abandoned puppy was crying when an unidentified person was rummaging through the bin.
“It appears as if she was burned with a caustic substance, or a metal object like an iron,” according to rescuers. “She is only a few weeks old, had a portion of her tail cut off, and can not walk due to being beat and assaulted.”
John Welsh of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said an investigation was conducted last week with the woman who found the puppy, as well as with businesses in the area where Hope was found.
The investigation “didn't lead to anything,” Welsh said as there were no cameras in the area. Due to the lack of evidence it is highly unlikely that any criminal complaint would be filed, Welsh added.
Photo: Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation