OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The reward for information about a little dog that was duct-taped and thrown into a dumpster last week is now into five digits.
PETA announced that the organization will contribute $5,000 to the reward for information leading to an arrest and animal cruelty conviction of those responsible for the incident, putting the total at $10,000. Initially, the reward was $1,000; but last week the Nebraska Humane Society upped the the total to $5,000.
“No leads or suspects have been identified, so PETA is asking for the public’s help,” the PETA release states.
Leo, a small Cavalier King Charles spaniel-poodle mix, was discovered a week ago in the dumpster by employees of Sweet and Associates, located northeast of 132nd Street and West Center Road. NHS said there are no cameras in the area that might have seen Leo being put in the dumpster, which apparently was emptied by the trash service about 30 minutes after animal control responded to the call last Monday morning.
Leo’s head was wrapped in duct tape, and the dog’s front and back legs were also taped together. Animal control rushed Leo to NHS, where staff removed the tape after sedating the dog.
“The terror that this little dog must have endured as a cruel person wrapped his head and legs in duct tape, leaving him in a dumpster and barely able to breathe, is unthinkable,” said Colleen O’Brien, PETA senior vice president, in a Friday news release. “PETA asks anyone with information to come forward immediately before the individual responsible hurts or kills someone else.”
Authorities are investigating the incident. Those responsible face a misdemeanor charge, which can incur a $500 fine and up to six months in jail. Anyone with information is asked to call NHS at 402-444-7800, Ext. 1.
Leo’s owners were located using the microchip ID. Erin Dillon-Pasillas had reported Leo missing on Thursday, believing the family pet got out while getting her child to school that morning.
Dillon-Pasillas, said she and her family spent that weekend desperately searching for their dog and went to the Humane Society that Monday to see if Leo was there after getting a text from PetLink.
Dillon-Pasillas said last week that she and her family were relieved to have their 1.5-year-old cavapoo back home, and in good health. She said the family hopes they will get justice for what happened to Leo.
“They deserve to be in jail. These are family pets that people are connected to and there’s no reason to hurt an animal like this,” she said.
This one starts out a bit rough, but it has a happy ending. *Content and images may be disturbing to some…
—
Digital Director Gina Dvorak, Anchor Erin Sullivan, and Reporter Bella Caracta contributed to this report.
—
Get the latest breaking news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for 6 News email alerts.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
