A tipster will be getting a $5,000 reward from PETA for providing information that helped secure the conviction of a man who slammed his puppy to the ground by her leash, kicked her as she lay motionless and then dragged her away in an attack in Long Beach, the animal welfare organization announced today.
“It just takes one kind person to crack a cruelty case, and by coming forward, this tipster saved this dog from further abuse and gave her the bright future she deserves,” Lisa Lange, senior vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said in a statement Thursday.
“PETA encourages everyone to follow this person’s shining example and never be silent in the face of cruelty to animals.”
The money is being awarded after Alexander Cueva, 28, of Westminster, pleaded no contest May 7 to a felony animal cruelty charge and was sentenced to three years in state prison and banned from possessing animals for 10 years.
Cueva hoisted his 6- to 8-month-old pup by the neck with a leash early on April 21, slammed her to the pavement and kicked her in the face before suspending the dog again and riding away on a skateboard, dragging her out of frame, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
A neighbor captured the attack on security camera video. After a tipster identified him from the footage, detectives found Cueva in the 800 block of Pine Avenue and took him to the city jail, where he was booked on suspicion of felony intentional cruelty to an animal, according to police.
The puppy was placed in the care of Long Beach Animal Care Services, which issued a statement last month saying that the animal “is currently energetic, bright and responsive.”
“She sustained some injuries consistent with suspected trauma, but is expected to heal with time and care,” according to the Animal Care Services agency.
The puppy has been re-named Rue and reportedly is thriving in foster care, according to PETA.
“She is recovering from her injuries, enjoying walks and rolls in the grass, and learning to trust kind people,” PETA said.