On April 18, an animal abuse suspect was taken into custody after being caught kicking a tiny puppy in Anaheim, California, on video, as per ABC7. The incident happened at around 8 a.m. on April 7. The suspect carried the pup in one hand while pushing his bike with the other. Then, he dropkicked the puppy out of frame, with the little dog heard yelping loudly later in the surveillance footage.
Animal cruelty suspect arrested after being caught kicking puppy on video
Joseph Michael Sanders was taken into custody on Thursday evening, and he will be facing animal cruelty charges. Authorities are still searching for the puppy in question and have asked for the public’s assistance in providing any leads. The 35-year-old man was also arrested with the public’s help, with the Anaheim Police Department thanking everyone for cooperating with their detectives.
The video was kindly reported by a community member, who sent it to the authorities for further investigation. The police also interviewed them to gather leads for the animal cruelty case.
Police believe the pup belongs to Sanders, as he could be seen carrying the canine in the surveillance footage. Also, after the disturbing kicking incident, the puppy continued following the suspect closely, hinting at the same.
OC Animal Care public spokesperson Alexa Pratt exclaimed that the video was “heartbreaking.” She further noted, “They want to be with their people, so what we really want is for someone to call and have some information, hopefully, so we can get that dog away from that situation and into a loving family — a home where he’s just loved and cherished.”
Once the canine is found, they will remain under OC Animal Care’s custody. The organization will wait until the case is resolved before getting the little puppy ready for adoption.
