A man was caught on surveillance camera abandoning a malnourished 10-month-old puppy outside a building in Martinez.
Now the Contra Costa County Animal Services Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying the man.
“The animal was in a crate. It had no food or water,” county spokesperson Steve Burdo said about the pup, who is either a boxer or an American bulldog, and was deserted around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
When the staff came in eight hours later, they found the dog, who has since been named Rosie, in bad condition.
“It has a very, very severe skin condition,” Burdo said. “Our vets believe it is scabies. It’s been there for some time, untreated.”
With proper treatment, Rosie is expected to make a full recovery.
Authorities are meanwhile trying to get to the bottom of the situation and, for that, need to talk to the man.
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“We don’t know if this was a dog just found stray and brought in or if this person owned the dog, that’s why we’d like the help of the public getting in touch with this person,” Burdo said.
If the man in the video is found to be Rosie’s owner, he has committed a crime, according to the animal services department.
“What we have right now is a verified case of animal abandonment,” Burdo said. “There’s prominent signage letting people know it is a crime.”
Animal abandonment is a misdemeanor and it is up to the District Attorney to decide if the person should be charged.
