Mutilated Puppy Adopted by San Diego Family

Pongo, whose life got off to a rough start, has finally found his 'forever home'

A puppy that had been mutilated and thrown in a dumpster has been officially adopted by a loving local family.

The spaniel-mix puppy – named “Pongo” – was adopted Wednesday from the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe by Colleen Lanin, Phil Grossfield, their two children (pictured below) and their rescue dog and cat.

The family is dedicated to animal rescue adoption as was considered a perfect fit for Pongo, who had a rough start in life but is now moving on to a better, brighter future.

The Helen Woodward Animal Center says they received several adoption applications for Pongo, but ultimately decided on Lanin and Grossfield as the perfect pet parents for the pup.

The following note was sent out by the adoptions department regarding Pongo’s new family:

“Pongo went home with a delightful family. The couple was so nice and thoughtful they called each day after they met him to see if we had decided who would be taking Pongo home. They went on a shopping spree at our store and left with armfuls of toys and supplies. Our little Pongo would not stop licking the woman. We felt like he was saying, “Thank you for giving me a forever family.” They promised to send lots of updates which we all look forward to reading.”

Pongo had been living at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe for the past three months, recovering from malnourishment, mutilation and abandonment.

Back in May, he was left for dead with his ears cut off inside a dumpster in Chula Vista along with his three canine siblings. The puppies were about five weeks old and left behind in a closed cardboard box.

According to center officials, inexperienced breeders may have attempted an ear removal process on Pongo called “cropping” in order to make him cuter and more valuable. When the breeders realized the process was poorly executed, they decided to throw Pongo and the other puppies away.

Luckily, the pups were found and brought to the Helen Woodward Animal Center, where they have been recovering ever since, awaiting adoption.

Pongo was the first of the abandoned pups to become eligible for adoption. Over the next few weeks, the center hopes his siblings will continue to heal and also become eligible for adoption.

Anyone interested in adopting Pongo’s siblings or other rescue pets can contact the adoptions department at (858) 756-4117, ext. 1 or visit this website.

Contact Us