Reward Offered in Case of Fatal Dog Beating

Animal welfare officials today announced a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of whoever beat a dog to death last month in Spring Valley.

San Diego Humane Society officers responding to a report that an 8-year- old male shepherd mix was missing in the 1500 block of Ramona Avenue found his body partway down a steep roadside embankment near his out-of-town owner's home on the afternoon of Aug. 20, said Randy Lawrence, law enforcement director for the agency.

The canine apparently had been dead for three or four days. The results of his necropsy -- the animal equivalent of an autopsy -- were "appalling," Lawrence said.

"There's no doubt that this was an intentional act," he said. "We have several suspects, but we're asking for help from the community for any additional information that could identify the person responsible for the death of this dog."

Investigators believe that the perpetrator -- probably someone known to the animal's owner or to the man's roommates -- used a bat or similar blunt instrument to fatally bludgeon the animal at the house where he lived, then dumped the carcass in the nearby hilly vacant lot.

Humane Society President Gary Weitzman called such instances of animal abuse "tragic."

"Animals can't speak for themselves, so we rely on information from the community to seek the justice they can't," he said.

Anyone who might be able to help solve the case was asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477, or online at sdcrimestoppers.com. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

-- City News Service