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Man Arrested For Allegedly Beating Puppy, Swinging It 'Like A Yo-Yo' [UPDATED]
French bulldog puppy. (Photo by Marie Havens/Shutterstock)
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Who could possibly abuse an adorable French bulldog puppy? A Highland Park man is under arrest on suspicion of felony animal cruelty after allegedly swinging his puppy in the air "like a yo-yo."
The LA Times reports that Joseph Fragoso, 28, was arrested Sunday night in the 1500 block of Avenue 54 near York Boulevard after police received a call from a witness that a man carrying a puppy suddenly threw it to the sidewalk and kicked it for no apparent reason.
The officers were also told that the man, who said he was the dog's owner, then began to swing the dog in the air on a leash "like a yo-yo," said LAPD Capt. Jennifer Thomas.
It gets worse: Witnesses say they also saw Fragoso strike the dog with an object that might have been a tree branch, before dragging it along the sidewalk.
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"When officers arrived, they found the man wearing a white shirt stained with blood," Thomas said. The suspect admitted the blood was from his puppy but that he "didn't know" why it was bleeding.
Officers noticed the puppy had cuts and scrapes to its paws and mouth and was having difficulty breathing. Animal Services provided emergency medical treatment for the puppy, which is expected to recover, Thomas told the Times.
"The officers were just horrified about the condition of the puppy," she said. "We all want to adopt the dog. Had we not responded and arrested the man, who knows what would have happened to this poor puppy."
The LAPD has not released a picture of the suspect or the puppy, or indicated where the puppy is being treated or if it will be up for adoption to the public.
UPDATE, JULY 8, 11:06 A.M.:
ABC News reports that the puppy is being cared for at the North Central Animal Shelter at 3201 Lacy Street.
According to Annette Ramirez of Los Angeles Animal Services, the puppy will be held at the shelter for 30 days as evidence. Then depending on a court decision, he may be up for adoption to the public.
The puppy is "lethargic" but expected to make a full recovery. The ABC site has a picture of the puppy, who is light brown.
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