Monterey SPCA Offers $2,000 Reward For Information Leading To Arrest Of Dog-Abuse Suspect
MONTEREY (CBS SF) -- Officials with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Monterey County are offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a person who abandoned a neglected dog and her four puppies in Monterey.
On Monday morning at about 11:30 p.m., SPCA Humane Investigations Officers picked up the five dogs, which were in a cardboard box in the yard of a for-sale property in the 1000 block of Josselyn Canyon Road.
A realtor had called to report the abandoned dogs.
Monterey County SPCA officials said the mother and puppies were thin and suffering from a painful, itchy skin condition called demodex. The demodex has left the dogs with hair loss and red lesions on most of their bodies.
The lesions are susceptible to infection, according to the SPCA officials.
Based on the condition of the box, the dogs could have been outside for between 12 and 24 hours.
The dogs are receiving medication for the demodex, medicated baths and antibiotics to heal secondary bacterial skin infections and lessen the dogs' discomfort.
The treatment for the skin condition could take from three to eight months to complete, shelter officials said.
Investigations Officers named the mother Josie -- after the road where she was found -- and her puppies Juliet, Stanley, Hermie and Stella.
The five are receiving tender-loving care, which consists of medical attention, warm blankets, clean water and food among other things.
"They're not really snuggable yet," SPCA for Monterey County Education and Outreach Manager Dawn Fenton said.
Shelter officials are seeking a foster home for the five dogs. The home must be a low-stress environment to allow the dogs' immune systems to strengthen.
Potential foster volunteers must apply and the volunteer must become an official volunteer of The SPCA's Foster Friends Program.
The SPCA for Monterey County is not associated with any other organization and has no parent organization, according to shelter officials.
Persons interested in applying can call (831) 373-2631.
The owner of the dogs, if caught, could be arrested for permitting animals to go without care, willful abandonment and deprivation of food, water and shelter.
SPCA Humane Investigations Capt. Stacie McGrady said her officers do not have any specific suspects. Officers have canvassed the neighborhood where the dogs were found. They also noticed a Soledad address on the box the dogs were found in.
McGrady said the dogs may have been abandoned because the owner or owners were unable pay for the medical care they needed. She said other reasons may exist too.
Anyone with information about the case is being asked to call (831) 373-2631. All calls are confidential.
© Copyright 2016 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
