$2,500 Reward Offered for Help in Nabbing Person Who Dumped Emaciated Puppy

PETA Offer Comes After Death of Dog Found Caged and Starved in Portsmouth Dumpster

For Immediate Release:
July 22, 2015

Contact:
Lakisha Ridley 202-483-7382

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, a passerby made a horrifying discovery in the 200 block of Median Court in Portsmouth: An emaciated pit bull puppy in a wire crate had been abandoned in a construction dumpster under a yellow tarp. The 5-to-6-week-old puppy, named Thia by her rescuers, was so thin that her skeleton was clearly visible through her blue-gray fur. She later died.

Police have yet to determine who is responsible for Thia’s death. That’s why PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

“It’s heartbreaking to imagine the agony and terror that this little dog felt as she was starved, caged, and left to die in a dumpster in the blistering Virginia heat,” says PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is urging anyone with information to come forward immediately, before whoever is responsible for this callous act hurts anyone else.”

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Portsmouth Police Department’s Crime Line at 1-888-Lock-U-Up.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.