A Facebook Group Is On the Hunt For An Animal Abuser

Photo by Animal Rescue League of Boston

Rewards on offer, petitions are fired up, and two Facebook groups are gaining members—all in the name of a puppy who was found beaten, burned, and with broken bones, abandoned in a park in Quincy.

Dubbed “Puppy Doe” by animal rescue officials—the Boston Herald claimed to identify the dog’s original owner—police are on the hunt and asking for the public’s help, for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for their “sadistic” abuse of the animal over an extended period of time.

Police are worried that the abuse of Puppy Doe may be part of a bigger problem, and other animals may be at risk. “It is highly unlikely that this level of sadistic cruelty could be shown to one animal and not be part of a pattern involving other animals or perhaps vulnerable people. We need to find the person who did this and see what else they are doing,” said Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey, during a plea to the public last week, asking individuals to send any information to authorities related to the case.

After being found in Quincy on August 31 and brought to a veterinarian, Puppy Doe had to be put down due to the extent of her injuries.

Besides burn marks, a laceration to the eye, and broken bones that had been pulled apart, Puppy Doe weighed less than half of the normal weight for a healthy dog of her size, according to officials. “Words cannot adequately describe the shocking suffering that Puppy Doe endured or capture the urgency in identifying who did this to her,” said Mary Nee, president of the Animal Rescue League.

Since the story made national news, Nee said the organization has been “deeply moved” by the outpouring of support from people all over the country who are looking to help identify the person who inflicted “such pain and suffering on Puppy Doe.”

A vigilante Facebook group has joined the ongoing search for the perpetrator, and is accepting tips from the general public to pass onto Quincy Police and officials looking into the case. Quincy Police said that thousands of calls have been pouring in. “We want to see those persons punished for this crime,” according to a statement on the Facebook group’s page. The group, called “Help find the torturers of Puppy Doe,” had more than 4,000 likes as of Sunday morning.

On the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s official website, a fundraiser was started to help further the investigation. The Animal Rescue League of Boston is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Puppy Doe’s abuser. Misty’s Journey and Second Chance Rescue in New York City added an additional $10,000 in reward money over the weekend.

Funds donated on behalf of Puppy Doe in excess of the ARL Boston reward will go directly toward preventing future cases of animal suffering, cruelty, and neglect, according to the organization’s website.

A petition has also been started, called “Justice for Puppy Doe,” which calls for changes to the state’s animal abuse laws, and getting rid of the option to give away pets for free on Craigslist. The group has an accompanying Facebook page with the same name, already with more than 16,000 followers.

The petition, which is addressed to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster, was created after news surfaced that Puppy Doe’s original owner had to give her up due to breed restrictions, and decided to do so through an ad on Craigslist. “It’s beyond words that this sweet, innocent dog, that once knew love, had to suffer this violent, evil fate,” the petition organizer’s wrote. “But at the very least, if the banning of ‘re-homing,’ and ‘giving away’ of pets was [removed from] Craigslist, there would be a small amount of justice in her name.”

As of Sunday, the petition had 12,000 supporters who signed their names to the cause.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Animal Rescue League of Boston at 617-226-5610.