![[Images courtesy: The Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue's Facebook page]](https://theavtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fergus-abused-dog.jpg)
The dog, who has been named “Fergus,” was brought to a Lancaster animal shelter Aug. 11 and subsequently turned over to the Animal Medical Center of Southern California in West Los Angeles for treatment, with the help of the Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue Group.
Fergus was apparently taken to the shelter by a good Samaritan who found the wounded animal wandering the streets around a Walmart store in Lancaster, according to CBS Los Angeles. However, when the injured dog was first found, no report was made to the sheriff’s department, which learned of the canine’s injury this week when contacted by news media, said Lt. David Grall of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control has launched an animal abuse investigation, officials said Wednesday.
In the meantime, Fergus has been making what doctors called an almost miraculous recovery. The animal had severe burns on its back, beginning at the base of its neck extending almost to its tail.
“The fact that this guy still trusts people, wags his tail and will let us treat him, considering the horrendous way that some person hurt him, is absolutely remarkable,” Dr. Alan Schulman of the Animal Medical Center told NBC4.
Schulman told the station he suspects the dog was not set on fire, but had some type of chemical or battery acid poured on him.
Channel 4 reported that after it aired a story about the dog’s plight, a viewer offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the person who hurt Fergus.
A Gofundme page has been set up to help cover the dog’s treatment costs. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than $15,000 had already been raised.
According to a statement on the Gofundme page, the golden retriever, about one or two years of age, was brought into the Lancaster shelter “with burns down his entire back.”
“He is being treated at AMC now for severe burns and we are hoping to stave off infection, which is what we are most concerned about at this point,” according to the website.
UPDATED 8.20.15: Rewards offered, more dogs burned
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the person or people who severely burned “Fergus” the golden retriever, the organization announced Thursday.
“It takes a dangerous lack of empathy to pour acid on a dog and leave him for dead on the side of the road,” PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien said. “PETA is urging anyone with information about this case to come forward now before anyone else is hurt.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, meanwhile, said he will ask his board colleagues on Sept. 1 to approve a $10,000 reward.
“With this reward, we hope to encourage the public to come forth with any information that will help us identify, apprehend and prosecute whomever is responsible for these depraved acts of cruelty,” he said.
Fergus was one of four dogs that were brought to the Lancaster Animal Shelter in recent weeks suffering from severe chemical burns, according to various media reports.
Two of the burned dogs – found in Lancaster and Rosamond — had to be euthanized. The third dog, found in Palmdale, managed to survive, according to a KTLA.
annomonis says
These dogs are popping up eveywhere is sickening. Watch your animals people lock them up protect them..if you see random cars in on your st. Pay attention. I thought it might be a little kid witch might make a little more sence but these dogs are dropped off in spread out places. Lancaster rosemond palmdale.. realize the people who have animals in there car second guess everyone find this cruel person..
Karo Karapetyan says
Let’s raise more funds to offer a reward for catching these monsters. Here is the link: http://www.justicefordogs.myevent.com/
All the funds will be added to the rewards already being offered.
annomonis says
How do I know its not flgoing in your pocket
nilsen says
NBC4 today is saying they have received info from viewers about other dogs in the AV perhaps dating back to 2012 with the same sort of burn injuries. They showed pictures of some, these are different dogs then the three pit bulls the shelter mentioned. Supervisor Antonovich is proposing a 10k reward in addition to the PETA reward and those by other parties. Went on to speculate these horrible incidents might be from gang members or even ritualistic. Sounds to me like there might be a lot more to this story forthcoming?Hope the investigations get to the bottom of this and get the person(s) responsible off the street and put away!
HEMi says
man focus on getting the dude talk crap about homeboy later if we don’t find this guy he could have your child one of these days weird always gets weirder
Helyn DeMattei says
This is a sub human entity who did this. He should not be referred to as Human. When caught and he will be he should be handed over to a pack of wolves for his inhuman fate.
Melitta says
Helyn, your point taken and I agree with your inference. Let’s not send him to a pack of wolves. They are way to beautiful and shy of an animal. Let’s let PETA get a hold of him! Nothing bad about PETA, but they would have a field day with him. Wolves are not what they are portrayed as. I’m not an extremest just sensible.
Jon doe says
This looks like the work ofa hillbilly mechanic.
lucybee says
Notice that the injury occurred here but this sweet dog had to b taken to Los Angeles to be taken care of, the ability to save an injured animal in this area sucks. I had a an injured dog that was hit by a car he was able to walk but we tried to get him help and got the run around from the “emergency” vet and lied to by the animal clinic staff I paid to have its pain relieved while we looked for a way to save him. alternatively the animal control people took him back to the “emergency” vet it as midnight by this time, to be put down this was just a couple of weeks ago again animal care around here sucks! W ase for help in trying to save this dog.
Irena says
Chemical burns like this require very specialized treatment and management. Most human doctors would not treat a person with this type of injury and would send them to a burn unit for care. This is no different for this poor dog. Most of the vets here are for typical accidents, illness etc. My dog is diabetic and I have received excellent care from her general vet.
Not to mention, the animal hospital might have donated their time for this dog since the bills will most likely top $5-7K after it is all said and done.
lucybee says
didn’t ask for donations just compassion and truth an some alternatives o the $2400 that they said it would cost to help the dog I brought in received none of those They lied to us and I get hey are in business but they are in the business of lives I wished they showed more concern again they sucked.
nilsen says
Wonder which Walmart the dog was found at, the eastside Lancaster one seems generally very lowlife. Poor sweet dog.Thanks heavens the Golden Retriever rescue folks were able to get him out and are having a good response to raising money for his vet bills.
One of the news reports I saw said there were three other dogs turned in recently to Lancaster shelter with similar injuries, showed a pit bull who survived. Hope a rescue pulls the pit, I’m not a fan of pits but this dog having survived being tortured deserves a chance for sure. The news story mentioned two other dogs, I believe said also pits, were brought into the shelter with this type of burns and had to be put down. I’m pretty sure the report said the dogs were from Palmdale, Lancaster and Rosamond? But if Rosamond why not Kern county shelter?Surprisingly the employee at Lancaster seemed to be saying said she did not believe the cases were related?
LJ in SoCal says
Stuff like this makes me cringe. I can’t imagine how bad that injury hurt. I wish I had a house so I could take in Fergus. LA county animal control does a [removed] job. A dumped dog ran around Pearblossom for 3 months. I had gone on line to fill out forms for a pickup on two occasions. Attempted to get private shelters to take it in. NO CAN DO! Animal control never came. A new resident found a friend to take the dog in. (PS I was unable to care for it myself!)
John says
The Antelope Valley is number 1 in child abuse in L.A. County. Why not add some animal abusers to round off what already is a toilet of a town?
Jackie Zeligman says
People who treat animals like that are very sick,in the head and should be thrown in prison,disgusting that poor dog. I hope he gets better and finds a Good home.
Cynic says
The pictures are hard to view. This is disgusting. Hopefully the scumbag who did this suffers the consequences.
Dauntless says
“The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control has launched an animal abuse investigation, officials said Wednesday.”
So now “authorities” decide to investigate? After, it goes public, of course! The investigation shouldn’t take too long…just having to check every other person out here! The general population are a bunch of ignorant fools, that have no idea how to respect any other living being!
Pat says
Of course NOW they are looking into it. Why not when the dog was brought into the pound in Lancaster. Because lancaster really doesn’t care..if the news media hadn’t mentioned lancaster. ..they wouldn’t have done squat