Anaheim, Calif. — A disturbing incident has led to the arrest of a woman after a video captured her throwing a small dog over a fence in Anaheim, California.
The Anaheim Police Department identified the suspect as 30-year-old Tyler Thompson, who now faces charges of felony animal cruelty.
The unsettling footage, provided by the University Veterinary Center located on Glenoaks Avenue, shows the dog enclosed in a plastic bag being hurled over a fence. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, November 12, landing the dog in the clinic’s backyard.
Later that morning, the dog was discovered by a veterinarian, suffering from severe injuries.
“It’s hard to comprehend why someone would commit such an act,” said Dr. Ash Hakhamian. “To say the dog was simply ‘thrown’ doesn’t capture the severity of the situation. The psychological trauma he endured is significant, beyond just the physical harm.”
Dr. Hakhamian expressed his shock upon finding the dog at the back of his clinic, initially puzzled by how the animal had arrived there.
“We decided to review the security camera footage, and to our disappointment, we found the pet was placed there by being thrown over the fence,” he told Eyewitness News.
“He face-planted,” Hakhamian added. “That’s what broke his fall, was his face.”
In addition to the trauma and severe bruising, Hakhamian said the dog was severely anemic, malnourished and was covered in fleas.
“His nails are so long, they have curled and gone back into his paw,” Hakhamian said. “That’s a type of neglect that precedes this trauma, it precedes this abuse.”
The clinic said that due to the nature of the situation, the dog was “receiving around-the-clock care to ensure he is recovering from both his injuries and ongoing medical needs.”
The police department did not have an update on the dog’s condition when the arrest was announced on Wednesday.
“There is going to be a lot of medical care and other things involved before he is going to be made available to the public for adoption and/or foster care,” the clinic said in a statement.
After reviewing the surveillance video, the veterinarian’s office thought the woman responsible came from the apartment building across the street.
Police confirmed that’s where she was found on Thursday, Nov. 13. She was questioned but not immediately arrested as police discussed the case with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The department later announced Thompson’s arrest and charge two weeks later.
