Heeler-Pit Bull Mix Was Victim of Cruelty
UPDATE: A southwest Riverside County woman, Carla Roberts, was very moved by the story of Peter, the three-legged dog that is part of an ongoing animal-cruelty investigation.
She adopted the dog today (Dec. 2) and he’ll now be scheduled for his neuter surgery before heading home with Carla.
MONDAY, DEC. 1, 2014 – A three-legged dog that is part of an ongoing animal cruelty investigation is now available for adoption.
The dog, now nicknamed "Peter," is a 2-year-old Queensland Heeler-Pit Bull mix. He was initially impounded with an injury that had apparently gone untreated for so long that the dog's left, rear paw had "mummified."
Riverside County Animal Services is pursuing animal cruelty against the suspected dog owner(s). The case stems from an Oct. 29 call to a property in unincorporated Riverside County near Perris.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department called Animal Services to the scene of its own investigation in the 22100 block of Old Elsinore Road on that day. Deputies were there investigating whether the property was being used by the tenants as a place to sell marijuana.
Deputies arrested Maria Carrillo that day. (It is uncertain if any case is pending related to the drug allegations; Please contact the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for information related to that case.) Animal Services will be pursuing animal cruelty charges against Ms. Carrillo.
A Riverside County Animal Services officer responded when it was reported that a dog was on the property that needed care. The dog was discovered dragging himself by his front legs. Animal Control Officer Denise Ericson located the dog underneath a recreation vehicle.
Several inches of the dog's left leg had exposed bone. It was uncertain what had caused the injury, but Animal Services' veterinarians said they believed the injury had gone untreated for weeks, if not months, causing a loss of circulation of blood to the paw.
"This is one of the worst cases of neglect our officers have experienced," Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. "It is illegal and inhumane to allow an animal to suffer needlessly in this fashion. We will be pursuing animal cruelty charges to the fullest extent."
The dog's left, rear leg was amputated on Oct. 31 and now the dog has fully recovered. Animal Services is now accepting interest from adopters for the special-needs dog. The adopter will need to understand the dog's mobility issues and have a lot of patience with him, considering what he has experienced in the past. So far, the dog is showing very good progress at getting around on just the three legs.
