ARIZONA NEWS
Apr 3, 2025, 2:00 PM | Updated: 2:06 pm
BY
KTAR.com
PHOENIX — The dog whose original owners abandoned him in a Surprise neighborhood was recently adopted by a police officer.
A video that went viral last month showed Benji the two-year-old Chihuahua being released from a vehicle while one of the people said, “Bye-bye!”
An officer with the Surprise Police Department gave him a permanent home, according to a Thursday release from the Arizona Humane Society (AHS).
A spokesperson for the Surprise PD said just as employees can bring their kids to work, Benji will be welcomed to come to work any and every day.
Last month, security cameras caught Benji’s owners pushing him out of a car and leaving him behind. Fortunately, a good Samaritan scooped him up and took Benji to the Surprise Police Department.
Police identified 20-year-old Logan Gambill and 26-year-old Priscilla Galanos as the people in the vehicle. Both face animal cruelty charges in connection to the case.
Benji was transferred to AHS where he was microchipped, vaccinated and neutered.
Last year, AHS responded to more than 10,000 animal cruelty cases.
Some of the reasons for the increase in abandoned pets are expensive home prices, evictions and a lack of affordable veterinary services, according to AHS.
Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.
Roxanne De La Rosa
The dog whose original owners abandoned him in a Surprise neighborhood was recently adopted by a police officer.
7 minutes ago
Serena O’Sullivan
An arrest has been made in a Mesa murder case from April 2024. An 18-year-old man was accused of killing the victim during a gun and drug sale.
51 minutes ago
Jim Sharpe
Danny Seiden of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry joins the AZ Political Podcast to discuss how President Donald Trump’s tariffs will affect the state’s economy.
2 hours ago
Colton Krolak
The Cactus League drew nearly 1.7 million fans across 224 spring training games in the Valley in 2025.
2 hours ago
Kevin Stone
Arizona U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego said Thursday there’s a smart way to deploy tariffs — and then there’s the way President Donald Trump is using them.
3 hours ago
Sponsored Content by
Arizona U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego said Thursday there’s a smart way to deploy tariffs — and then there’s the way President Donald Trump is using them.
DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care
If you find yourself asking if you can get back to your favorite hobbies after a back or neck surgery, take some advice from us.
Midwestern University
What if one of the best health care providers in your area wasn’t a big hospital or a corporate chain—but a place you’ve driven past without even realizing it? The best care is closer than you think.
Collins Comfort Masters
Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.
