Puppy with broken jaw, acid burns recovering at San Bernardino hospital
SAN BERNARDINO, California -- A 4-month-old puppy is recovering at a San Bernardino animal hospital on Friday after it was discovered on a school campus with severe chemical burns.
The young pup was found Wednesday with a broken jaw and burn injuries to its face. Doctors said it appeared acid was poured on the dog.
The pooch was taken to Loma Linda Animal Hospital, where it's recovering. On Friday night, Sedna Moseley, who works at the hospital, was able to get the Labrador pup to eat his first meal since he was brought in.
"Somebody knows what happened to this dog," she said. "This is clear abuse and I've only seen - thank God - only one other case this bad."
Dr. Leonard Sidgestad, with the hospital, said the puppy has to be sent to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in dentistry for dogs because the broken jaw is more than just a fracture.
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Alycia Enciso brought the injured pup to see the vet on Wednesday. He was in pretty bad shape. Photos from earlier in the week show the dark burns and broken jaw the puppy suffered.
She said a man was holding the dog and walking into the shelter with him. She told the man the shelter couldn't care for him, but he said OK. She said she knew the lab's injuries were far more extensive and expensive for a shelter.
"What kind of animal would do that to a little puppy," Enciso asked.
The Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, based in Sherman Oaks, is a foundation that - among many other things it does to save dogs - investigates reports of animal abuse.
The organization has offered to pay for the puppy's first oral surgery. That procedure could cost anywhere up to $15,000 and needs to be done immediately.
"Hopefully, somebody with a conscience knows and reaches out, make an anonymous call," Moseley said in a plea to find the perpetrator.
It is not yet clear whether the puppy was tortured or how it ended up at the school.
It is expected to go up for adoption after recovering from surgery and treatment.
