Oct 16, 2007 9:43 am US/Eastern
Horror: Defenseless Beagle Burned, Tortured
Animal Control Officers, Veterinarians Want Justice
Help 'Beagle Boy': 201-797-8861
Information On The Case: 973-881-3640
Reporting
Lou Young
PATERSON. N.J. (CBS) ―
The quivering mild mannered 3-month-old known as "Beagle Boy" was recovering from horrible burns Monday night at a nearby animal shelter.
The stray had apparently been doused with a caustic chemical, leaving injuries so severe, it's as if he had been set on fire.
"They're burns that sloughed off the fur, the skin, everything," veterinary technician Debbie Jensen said. "What you see there, that wet, that's ointment on him."
The puppy has large patches of angry red skin showing where the fur has pulled away from his body. He is sedated, and covered in ointment but still in tremendous pain, although he displays no anger and allows handlers to do their best to help him. As Debbie worked on him Monday afternoon she wondered about the person responsible for the dog's condition.
"It makes me angry," she said through clenched teeth. "I can't tell you how angry it makes me."
The injured puppy was found wandering in traffic here on Getty Avenue. Passing motorists stopped, unsure of what to do. Jennifer Valardo finally stopped and picked the dog up and called Animal Control.
"I couldn't just leave it there," Valardo said. "He would've gotten hit by a car, he would've died. I don't know how people can be so cruel to animals like that."
Animal cruelty experts are certain the puppy was intentionally hurt. The dog's paws and underside are unharmed and looking at what appear to be splash patterns on the dog's back evokes images of someone tossing liquid in the direction of a fleeing animal. The penalty for animal cruelty is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, but Chief John Decando of Paterson's Animal Control Department wishes it were more.
"Doing this to a dog, a person could very well do this to a human being," Paterson Animal Control Chief John Decando said. "This person needs to be taken off the streets. Look at it. Right now we have a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person who did this."
The reward consists of a $2,500 offering from the Human Society of America and another $2,500 is being put up by Save The Animals Rescue Team of Paterson also known as START2.
Veterinarian Paul Sova is optimistic "Beagle Boy" will get through this ordeal.
"(The) prognosis is good if we're able to get the skin grafts done," Sova said.
The number to offer donations for the care of "Beagle Boy" is 201-797-8861. The number for information about the case is 973-881-3640.
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