LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – In another tragic story of animal abuse in Las Vegas, animal advocates are seeking justice for a puppy that was found in a dumpster last month and died. Something they say is part of a larger, disturbing trend.
“It was July 29, not quite midnight yet,” said Linda Gilliam, president and founder of Connor & Millie’s Dog Rescue. “I was at work and I received a phone call, and they said, ‘Oh my God, please help me. I just found a puppy in a dumpster.’”
Justine was a Yorkie mix found inside a dumpster at a Las Vegas apartment complex.
“She was down. She was panting, she wasn’t really responsive. They found her in a brown paper bag,” said Gilliam.
She was only 8 to 10 weeks old.
“She was just a baby,” said Gilliam.
The puppy was rushed to Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.
“She had brain trauma, and they could not determine if it had happened prior to her being tossed in a paper bag, or if it was from being thrown into the dumpster, and she hit her head,” said Gilliam.
Despite hours of emergency treatments, Justine didn’t make it.
“We did everything. We tried everything for her,” said Gilliam. ”They were trying to put in the IVs to get her specialized IV fluid to help take down the swelling in the brain. And she quit breathing, and so we lost her.”
Justine is only the latest canine victim in a disturbing trend of animal cruelty in Las Vegas.
Reba, an English Bulldog, died after she was found inside a plastic bin taped shut last month.
MORE: Reward raises to $50K as animal advocates demand justice for Las Vegas bulldog
A $50,000 reward is now being offered to find the person responsible — as animal advocates seek justice for Reba, Justine, and several other animals whose stories have gone untold.
“And it seems as if the frequency and the intensity, the severity of the injuries, the abuse and neglect, is escalating greatly, and we’re just overwhelmed,” said Gilliam. “With Justine, what I did is I sat down, and I cried. I couldn’t save her.”
Metro Police are investigating Justine’s case. Give them a call if you have any information on who might have left her in the dumpster.
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.
