DENVER (KDVR) — The Commerce City Police Department is searching for the person who threw a dog out the window of their moving car on Nov. 23, breaking the canine’s spine.
Police said that a good Samaritan witnessed the incident at about 7:45 p.m. at the intersection of East 64th Avenue and Monaco Street almost a week ago.
The witness tried to help the dog before police arrived on scene. Officers transported him to an emergency veterinarian’s office, where they learned the dog’s spine was broken.
“This is sickening and heart-wrenching and we desperately need your help,” the police department said on Facebook.
Because the dog was in pain and unable to move, he was euthanized.
“The person or people responsible for this terrible act face felony aggravated animal cruelty charges,” the police department posted to Facebook. “Please, if you can, help us find them.”
In a comment response, the agency said the witness was so jarred from seeing the dog thrown out the window that they were unable to get a car description or a plate number.
Additionally, surveillance footage recovered from a nearby business shows the incident in “just in the corner” of the video footage, making it impossible to tell which vehicle the dog had been thrown from, as there was traffic at the time.
Bryon Taylor with the National Dog Rescue Network, said that abuse to dogs often gets the same response.
“Completely outraged when you see things like this,” Taylor told Nieto. “Dogs can’t protect themselves; they need humans to be responsible for domesticating them, in the first place. So, when something like this happens, especially in Colorado, you know people who are up in arms.”
A man on social media spoke with FOX31’s Greg Nieto, saying the dog’s name was Rambo. He also told Nieto that the 12-year-old dog was last seen on family property. That was before the dog’s disappearance and the realization on social media that Rambo was dead.
“When the people are found (who did this), I would hate to be them,” Taylor said. “Just because there are a lot of dog owners in Colorado who are outraged, right now, hearing a story like this.”
