The MSPCA is investigating after a video circulated online last week of a man striking a dog with a leash in Dorchester, the organization said.
The pup, a roughly 1-year-old pitt bull catahoula leopard dog mix, was surrendered to the animal welfare group on June 20, the MSPCA said in a statement. The alleged incident took place outside in Dorchester on June 15, and the MSPCA said many “concerned citizens” reached out after seeing the video on social media.
“Video of this incident was circulated widely on social media, and we got a lot of calls about it,” Chris Schindler, director of MSPCA Law Enforcement, said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the community’s commitment to the wellbeing of animals, which helped us find this dog and get him to a place we know is safe.”
The dog, now named Pluto, is expected to be available for adoption Wednesday out of MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center. The MSPCA said the pup is “remarkably friendly” and that he did not need any advanced medical treatment after he was surrendered to the shelter.
“We don’t know much about Pluto’s history, but it appears that he moved around a lot before he came to us,” Deborah Bobek, director of the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center, said in a statement. “We’re all troubled by what we saw in the video [of Pluto posted online], but while our Law Enforcement team works on the investigation, we’re committed to helping him find a home where he’ll be loved and cared for the way he deserves to be,” she added.”
Potential adopters should be able to provide Pluto with a “very structured and supportive environment” where he can flourish, Bobek said.
On social media, the MSPCA described Pluto as “fun, bouncy, and absolutely thrilled to meet new people.”
“Pluto has been through a lot of transitions recently and has a history of aversive training methods, so his adopter should be experienced (or ready to learn from our staff), patient, and ready to give him plenty of decompression time,” the animal welfare agency said. “Pluto will thrive with positive reinforcement and plenty of both mental and physical stimulation (think training games as well as exercise). He’s a happy, nice boy who needs someone who will give him the tools to thrive and become the best boy possible!”
While the investigation into the incident caught on camera is still ongoing, Schindler said the behavior depicted is “unlawful.”
“We will always pursue charges in these cases,” he said. “The community was right to be outraged by what was in the video, and our officers are always at the ready to investigate.”
Boston Animal Control is assisting MSPCA Law Enforcement with the investigation, the MSPCA said.
