Video shows man tossing puppy through Mission Viejo animal care center fence in early morning hours
Security video at a Mission Viejo animal care center captured a man tossing a tiny chihuahua mix puppy through the facility's gate in the early morning hours of April 10, abandoning the dog "in the middle of coyote country."
After asking for the public's help to find the man who drove up in a red four-door vehicle and left the four-pound pup alone, outside at the center around 4:30 a.m. last Friday, Mission Viejo Animal Services investigators said the following day, they had identified the man.
The suspect, who was also determined to be the puppy's owner, was contacted and interviewed by investigators, Mission Viejo Animal Services said.
"He literally just shoved the dog right through the bars here. And then what? Just 15 feet over here, we have a 24-hour vet hospital where staff is open...it's lit out so he could have just easily come in here and given the puppy to staff," Lt. Kyle Werner, Mission Viejo Animal Care Services, said.
The shelter's security camera video shows the pup wandering outside alone for about an hour. It eventually escaped under the fence, and in a stroke of luck, it made its way to the front door of the veterinary hospital, scratched its little paws on the glass door, getting the attention of the staff.
The veterinary team immediately brought the puppy inside, did a medical evaluation, and contacted Animal Services. She was given the name Magnolia.
"There are safe, humane, and legal options for individuals who are unable to care for an animal. Abandoning a defenseless puppy in this manner not only endangers the animal but is also a violation of the law," Mission Viejo Animal Services Director Brynn Lavison said.
Staff described the situation as heartbreaking, noting the puppy appeared scared and disoriented.
Little Magnolia could come up for adoption in the next couple of weeks.
If you would like to provide this little one a great home, apply online or come down to Mission Viejo Animal Services.
Anyone with information on the incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Mission Viejo Animal Services at (949) 470-3045 or animalservices@cityofmissionviejo.org
