The discovery of a decapitated dog in Ballona Creek less than a week after another canine was found apparently intentionally drowned nearby in Marina del Rey has led to the offering of several rewards.
The body of the decapitated dog was found Tuesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe said in announcing a $10,000 reward on Wednesday.
The drowned dog was on Wednesday, March 16, found tied to a shovel that had been staked in the sand.
One of the paddlers, Malia Zimmerman, posted a photo of the drowned dog to her Facebook page.
A group of paddlers found the brown-and-white dog, still attached to the shovel. It has apparently drowned during high tide.
“Sometimes people can be extraordinarily cruel,” one of the paddlers, Malia Zimmerman, wrote on Facebook. “We already reported this act of animal cruelty but it would be great to catch the puppy killer.”
Knabe said the incidents were the work of an “absolute monster.”
“It is sickening to think there is someone out there committing heinous acts of cruelty towards animals,” Knabe said in a statement. “I encourage anyone, who has any information that can help law enforcement with their investigation, to please come forward.”
The Humane Society of the United States and Echo Park-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were also both offering $5,000 rewards each in the drowning case.
“This little dog suffered the terror and agony of being staked to the sand and drowning in the rising ocean waters,” PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien said in a statement issued Monday.
A county animal control officer told KTLA the owner of the drowned dog has not been identified. A tag that was found on the dog was outdated, the officer said.
No details were immediately available about the where the decapitated dog was found, or what type of pooch it was.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Sheriff’s Department’s Marina del Rey Station at 310-482-6000.
Correction: Due to a missing word, an earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated the owner of the drowned dog had been identified. The post has been updated.