Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/stolen-dog-dies/

Paw Works is mourning the death of a stolen puppy after it was struck by a car on a freeway. Their beloved Pretty Girl did not deserve what happened that one fateful night.

The shelter received one unfortunate news after the other. A series of unfortunate events happened after midnight on June 9; an unnamed person trespassed the area by picking locks in the shelter. According to Brittany Vizcarra, the director of operations in Paw Works, the security alarm went off at 2:42 am. The suspect was caught on video, and the hooded person looked like they grabbed the easiest one to carry around.

Hours after the incident, citizens reported sightings of Pretty Girl on the 101 freeway at around 8 in the morning. Sadly, she was hit by a car and was brought to the vet by a kind stranger. Veterinarians from Conejo Valley Vet treated and examined Pretty Girl — through a microchip, it came to their knowledge that the canine was from Paw Works. After contacting the rescue center, the veterinary office immediately transferred Pretty Girl to the shelter’s veterinary hospital. Based on the veterinarian’s findings, Pretty Girl experienced internal bleeding, head and spine trauma, and tearing in her organs.

“Shortly after, she succumbed to her injuries. She was surrounded by Paw Works team members she knew and loved, who tried everything in their power to help save her,” Brittany Vizcarra shared in an interview with People. The whole team is still on the search for the culprit. Even though the security footage caught the culprit in the act, it was still unclear who the person on the footage was. In the video shared on Paw Work’s Instagram page, the suspect wore an oversized hoodie with a skull on the back, shorts, and Vans shoes.

Vizcarra also urged the community to watch the footage in hopes that someone might recognize the dog thief. The organization, along with supporters and PETA, prepared a $17,000 reward for anyone with useful information about the suspect. Pretty Girl lost her future at a very young age — making it more reasonable to seek justice and bring awareness that a suspect is still on the loose.

Paw Works became Pretty Girl’s safe haven, as it provided hope for her when she was at risk of being euthanized. She was starting to get a new life, but a human crime took all that away from her.

To help, if you are around Thousand Oaks, California, you can contact Camarillo Police Department at 805-388-5100 and or call/text Paw Works at (805) 799-3937. You might encounter the thief on the video, or someone around you might be an instrument to obtain justice for Pretty Girl once and for all.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog