Two heartbreaking instances in which puppies were discarded at the side of a Southern California road are under investigation by animal control officials.
Both incidents occurred in the town of Rubidoux, an hour and a half east of Los Angeles, outside of the Sierra Pacific Furbabies animal rescue.
The rescue’s founder David Loop told ABC Los Angeles that a lot of animals regularly show up on his shelter’s doorstep.
‘Dogs and cats; we kind of suspected they were being dumped, but I never had evidence of it,’ Loop added.
Thanks to his security camera set up, Loop began capturing those who heartlessly leave animals on the road, including in March when he discovered a six-week-old puppy named Delilah attempting to hide close to the shelter.
‘I saw the vehicle pull up. There was a little glitch in the camera because it stopped recording, but the guy pulled out in the street and the puppy was sitting right there,’ Loop told the station.
In a Facebook post, Loop said that the puppy spent ’24 hours in the cold and rain’ before being rescued and that she was ‘confused. After 14 hours going through the footage, Loop said that he found the person who abandoned the puppy.
The other incident saw Loop discover a female Rottweiler named Pebbles on his property. After he found the dog, Loop checked his videos.
The clip showed a silver car stopping at the side of the road, a back door opens and the dog jumps out to the side of the road. The car then speeds away.
‘She’s so lucky she didn’t get hit by a car and I’m actually happy she ran into my yard. The POS, pathetic garbage of a human being that dumped her should be ashamed of themselves,’ Loop wrote in a Facebook post.
‘I hope everyone in the world shares this video so the world can see what this loser did to this poor, innocent girl,’ he added.
Later, Loop speculated that Pebbles is pregnant.
Loop also encouraged those who are concerned for the animal’s welfare to donate to his shelter. According to the shelter’s website, Loop is focused on rescuing cats and kittens.
The incidents are under investigation by the Riverside County Animal Services office and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
California is among the most liberal states in the country when it comes to animal welfare laws.
In 2022, the state passed stringent laws regarding the production of pork, eggs and veal by effectively banning out-of-state products. That on top of the state’s earlier ban on the production of foie gras from birds that had been force-fed which was passed in 2019.
That same year, California became the first state to outlaw the sale and manufacture of new items made from fur animals including, mink, rabbit and coyote. There are exceptions for used fur garments, fur that is used for religious purposes, leather products, deerskin, sheepskin and goat skin.
Also in 2022, California lawmakers banned the practice of declawing of cats solely for the convenience of humans.
Claws on cats grow from the bone, not skin. Removing them sometimes requires amputating bones, while other procedures sever tendons to prevent a cat from extending its claws.
Animal rights activists have long said declawing is inhumane when done solely for the benefit of humans, arguing the procedure is painful, leaves the animal defenseless and can cause other health problems.
