Dog News

A trio of thieves staged a seizure to divert attention as a pair of valuable bulldog puppies was snatched from a Denver-area pet store over the weekend, authorities said. On Monday, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said the puppies remain missing and that three suspects in the Friday afternoon heist were at large. It asked for the public’s help tracking down the pets and the suspects. The alleged heist after 1:30 p.m. Friday was captured on the store’s security video system, said manager Bianca Rose, whose family owns Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colorado, a city about 14 miles south of downtown Denver. After the dust settled, a man who had fallen to the ground to fake a seizure — allegedly to divert attention from the theft of the two dogs — stayed down and was taken into custody by arriving law enforcement officers, Rose said. A man steals two bulldog puppies from Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colo., on Friday.Courtesy Perfect Pets As the man was being detained, a pipe fell from his clothing, Rose said. The two other suspects, both men, got away, and the 11-month-old male puppies, each worth $4,300, remained missing, Rose said. “We do not have either dog back,” she said. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office identified the man taken into custody as Timothy Davis, 37. He was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, and drug possession, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Monday. Jail records show Davis was behind bars based on $2,500 bond, with an initial court date scheduled for Thursday. The man “faked the seizure,” the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said in its statement. It’s not clear if Davis has been formally charged or if he has retained an attorney for the case. The area district attorney’s office and public defender’s office did not immediately respond to requests for information Monday night. The sheriff’s office said a fourth suspect was behind the wheel of a getaway vehicle, described as a gold Cadillac Escalade with chrome wheels, and it distributed a photo of the vehicle, a 2006 through 2013 short-wheelbase Escalade non-ESV that the sheriff’s office said had tinted windows and no license plates. According to Rose, the trio entered the store and immediately looked around at all the different dogs. That’s unusual, because patrons usually focus on one pen and pet the puppies, she said. One of the men flopped to the ground, faking a seizure to distract the employees, while another went to the bulldogs’ pen, pulled the top off and grabbed the only two English bulldog puppies in the store, Rose said. When an employee tried to tackle the alleged thief, he fell and fumbled the dogs, the sheriff’s office said in its statement. The employee, Rose said, was kicked in the face in the scuffle. The suspect got up, grabbed the the puppies and dashed outside with the other suspect, the sheriff’s office said. They hopped in the Cadillac and took off, the sheriff’s office said. “Deputies are still searching for the other three suspects,” the sheriff’s office said. Rose said another theft of high-value dogs, including a shih tzu valued at more than $2,000, took place at the store Feb. 12, when a woman with a stroller and another woman carrying a baby used a story of purchasing hamsters for a niece and nephew as a diversion. Her father was working at the time and was busy in the back of the store, boxing up free food for the hamsters — one of which he planned to hand to the women free of charge — when they snatched the dogs, Rose said. Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Colin Sheeley contributed . Read More

With daylight saving time starting this month, dogs and their owners will likely lose an hour of sleep, as clocks are set forward. And if you’ve ever wondered if domesticated dogs have as much trouble adjusting to the time change as humans do, it turns out, scientists have looked into this question.  In 2021, researchers in Ontario, Canada, conducted a study of both sled dogs and companion dogs during fall daylight saving time, when we gain an hour and see an earlier sunrise. Both dogs and their human owners or caretakers wore sensors (on their collars and wrists, respectively), which measured movement and activity.   The scientists found while the pets had no trouble with the change, it took the sled dogs—working canines who were housed outdoors in kennels—a day to adjust. This was surprising. “I very much expected the sled dogs to be more attuned to sunrise time, because they’re housed outdoors, and daylight is known to be the strongest environmental modulator of sleep-wake patterns,” Ming Fei Li, study co-author and PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, says.  (Maybe dogs didn’t need us at all to domesticate themselves) But the results underscore what really determines whether dogs are impacted by the time change.  “The number-one factor that affected their wake-up time was human activity,” Li says. That is: dogs are less influenced by the changing numbers on the clock than they are by us. “Dogs are very, very entrained to humans,” adds co-author Lavania Nagendran, also a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto. “It’s a testament to how well our patterns are synced.” The manager of a conservation-friendly ranch in the Centennial Valley herds cattle on horseback with his dog. Photograph by Ami Vitale, Nat Geo Image Collection Working dogs were found to take more time to adjust to DST than pets. Photograph by Jasper Doest, Nat Geo Image Collection Dog’s DST behavior is a testament to their close bonds with humans Some dog owners, of course, would beg to differ. Instagram and TikTok are full of viral videos of pets begging for dinner an hour earlier than usual after fall daylight saving time—or just refusing to get out of bed in the spring.    Inspiring exploration for over 130 years Subscribe now a get a free tote Rumi is a 4-year-old beagle in South Lake Tahoe, California, whose owner, Nicole Evatt, posted a video of him last March “annoyed” by the time change and wanting to sleep in. But she admits it was a bit of a joke. “Rumi would sleep 23 hours a day if I let him,” she says. “I don’t think he knows the difference.” But in the fall, when his meal is delayed due to daylight saving time, she does notice a meaningful change. “If he has to wait an extra hour for dinner, he acts like he’s dying of starvation,” Evatt jokes. So, in the days leading up to daylight saving time, she feeds him 15 minutes later each evening so that he has time to adjust.  It’s not absurd for owners to assume that some dogs would be impacted by the time change. After all, like humans, dogs do have a circadian rhythm, aka the body’s built-in 24-hour clock that helps determine when we eat and sleep. But it’s not that simple, says Alejandra Mondino, DVM, a neurology resident at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh.   Mondino, who studies dogs and sleep, notes that light is an important factor, but social interactions and feeding times can also affect circadian rhythm in canines.  Dogs are “very, very influenced by their human companions,” she explains.  The results of the Ontario study—that companion dogs didn’t need to adjust to daylight saving time—didn’t surprise her, as it aligns with her own research. “We influence them more than the actual sunrise or sunset,” she says. Left: A Siberian Laika sled dog lay asleep in the early morning covered by the nights snowfall. Right: A dogsled team on patrol in whiteout conditions in Greenland. Photograph by James Hill, Redux (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann, Nat Geo Image Collection (Bottom) (Right) Carlo Siracusa, DVM, a veterinary behaviorist and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has treated canine patients whose anxiety flared after daylight saving time.  “If you look at the reality from the dog’s point of view, it’s like, ‘Oh, all people went crazy now, and they’re doing things at a different time,’” he says.  You May Also Like But he too thinks it has less to do with the dog’s circadian rhythm and more to do with human behavior.  “It’s really a change in the habits of people that is associated with the change of DST and the change of season,” Siracusa explains.  (Humans are hardwired to love cute animals. Learn more about why.) For example, “if you get out of work at five, and you arrive home and you bring your dog out for a walk in the winter, it can be very quiet,” he says.  But after daylight saving time in the spring, there’s more sun later in the day—and likely more people and animals out to enjoy it.  “For a dog that really does not enjoy proximity to humans and people they don’t know, it might be difficult, and they might be more reactive, more nervous,” Siracusa says. “So, we have seen this type of change in some of our [canine] patients.”    The manager of a conservation-friendly ranch in the Centennial Valley plays with his dog. Photograph by Ami Vitale, Nat Geo Image Collection It is plausible some dogs are impacted, regardless of their owners It is possible some dogs experience disruptions and grumpiness around daylight saving time. “The effect depends on the personality of the dog,” Siracusa adds. “And the same thing for humans, right? Some people really suffer, and some other people adjust very quickly.” For instance, older dogs tend to lose their circadian rhythm as they age, which can lead to sleep disruptions, Mondino adds. This,

By Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years she has specialized in viral trends and internet news, with a particular focus on animals, human interest stories, health, and lifestyle. Alice joined Newsweek in 2022 and previously wrote for The Observer, Independent, Dazed Digital and Gizmodo. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Alice by emailing alice.gibbs@newsweek.com. Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter A woman has shared her shock after adopting a puppy she believed to be a black Labrador, only to discover they may be a completely different breed. On New Year’s Day, Nancy Muth from Florida welcomed Rocco into her home, taking him in from a family that could no longer care for him. The little pup was the runt of the litter and had even been bullied by his siblings. “We were told he was a black Lab,” Muth revealed to Newsweek. But within two weeks, she started noticing something unusual. “His wrinkles started coming in, and after his first vet visit, the vet told us he’s more Corso than Lab. He also seemed to grow big paws overnight.” Rocco’s new family, who previously owned corgis, never expected to raise a Cane Corso, a large and powerful guardian breed. Despite the surprise, they have fully embraced their new pup. “We did our research on black Labs, but the only thing I really knew about Corsos is that they make great guard dogs. Honestly, I don’t think we need one for that, but he’s already stolen our hearts.” Pictures of puppy Rocco who has gained viral attention after his owners questioned his breed origins. @ohsopurrfectpack/TikTok The Cane Corso, also known as the Italian Mastiff, is a large working dog breed that has gained popularity in recent years. The breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2010, but the breed has come under fire after being at the center of stories involving irresponsible ownership, poor breeding practices and biting incidents. In some areas of the U.S., Cane Corsos have already been added to breed ban lists, but there is a move to debunk negative stereotypes about the breed too, particularly by organizations like the Cane Corso Association of America (CCAA). Muth shared a video of Rocco on her TikTok page that has since received over 600,000 views, seeing if anyone could shed any light on the dog’s real breed. “When you find out the ‘Lab’ you adopted might actually be a Cane Corso,” the text overlay said. In the comments, people shared their reactions. “His snout gave that away,” said uswnec10. While Grit wrote: “Some of these puppies can be a bit deceptive lol. Give it another couple months when you start reaching 6-9 months then you’ll really start to see the changes.” The overwhelming support from TikTok users in the comments helped Muth solidify her decision to keep Rocco, despite the unexpected breed difference. The family plans to have his breed officially tested. “We’re planning to get him some professional training and make adjustments to our lifestyle to ensure he has the best life possible,” she said. “We’re nervous but excited—he’s already so smart, and with the little training we’ve started at home, I’m confident he’s going to be an amazing dog.” Do you have funny or adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup. Top stories About the writer Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years she has specialized in viral trends and internet news, with a particular focus on animals, human interest stories, health, and lifestyle. Alice joined Newsweek in 2022 and previously wrote for The Observer, Independent, Dazed Digital and Gizmodo. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Alice by emailing alice.gibbs@newsweek.com. Alice Gibbs Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years … Read more Read More

Firearms officers who had no option but to destroy two dogs dangerously out of control have been cleared of any wrongdoing. An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct found that the officers acted correctly in dealing with the incident in Poplar, east London, in May 2023. Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, who leads policing in the area, said: “The IOPC investigation has been extensive, examining every aspect of what happened that day and scrutinising body worn video, mobile phone footage and CCTV of the incident as well as consulting dangerous dog experts. “The investigation found the officers faced a really challenging situation and made numerous attempts to get the owner of the aggressive animals – after they had attacked a woman and her dog – to surrender them to prevent further injury to anyone. “The officers demonstrated impressive restraint and bravery in trying to resolve the situation in the face of the owner repeatedly refusing to comply, and only took further action when they were left with no choice after the dogs came free of the man’s grip. “Parts of the incident were filmed and posted on social media and we know how much distress this matter caused. None of us would wish to see injury to any animal and that includes our officers who only acted to ensure the safety of everyone involved. “Police officers are highly trained to deal with situations involving dogs that are dangerously out of control and their overriding concern will always be to ensure the safety of the public.” Police were called just after 17:00hrs on Sunday, 7 May, 2023 to reports of a woman and her dog being attacked by two dogs in Commercial Road, E14. She was knocked to the ground as she attempted to protect herself and her pet. She suffered an injury to her leg, and her dog had a cut nose and some fur bitten from its body. Armed Met officers and a City of London Police dog handler attended and tracked the owner, who was with two Cane Corsa breed dogs in the street. They tried to negotiate with the man and prevent him from walking away while the dogs continued to bark. He refused to hand over the dogs and one of them jumped up at an officer before the owner walked away. The officers followed him to Limehouse Cut Canal where the man stopped but still refused to surrender his dogs, which were agitated and barking. At one point, the dogs became loose and moved towards the officers before the owner regained control. Soon after, one of the dogs became free and lunged towards the police dog handler. A firearms officer then destroyed the dog. The second dog was detained by the dog handler using a pole capture device and Tasered. It broke free and the same firearms officer pursued, fearing for the safety of his colleagues, before the dog was destroyed. The dog owner was also Tasered before being arrested. Checks revealed he was disqualified from keeping dogs for 20 years as part of an order handed to him in 2019. Following public complaints about the actions of the officers, the Met made a referral to the IOPC which launched an independent investigation. Investigators found no evidence of misconduct or that officers discriminated against the man because he was homeless. They found officers communicated with the man in a calm, but firm, manner for a prolonged period of time to try to convince him to surrender both dogs. The owner of the dogs, in his 40s, was given a suspended prison sentence in November 2023 having pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control (without injury). He also pleaded guilty to possession of dogs while under a 20-year disqualification order. He had earlier that month admitted the same offences in relation to an incident in February 2023 in Strutton Ground, Westminster, during which his dogs attacked and blinded a Pomeranian dog. Read More

A video of a golden retriever refusing to go on a walk has captivated nearly 2 million TikTok users, resonating deeply with many who relate to its humor and underlying sentiment. The clip, shared on the account @enzosgoldenadventure, features Enzo the dog dramatically slumped in a corridor, clearly unenthused about the prospect of a walk. Behind the camera, his owner humorously narrates, “You can’t just collapse and die because you don’t want to do something, buddy,” adding, “I know we all wish we could do that, but we can’t—because of society.” This playful jab at societal expectations has struck a chord online, prompting a flood of comments. One viewer said, “‘Cause of society’!!! That was awesome!” garnering over 17,000 likes. Another joked, “This ‘society’ I keep hearing about is ruining a lot of good things.” A third comment read, “Actually, that’s how I’m dealing with life right now,” to which Enzo’s owner humorously agreed in the caption: “How I plan to deal with all my problems.” The video’s relatability lies in its subtle critique of the pressures of modern life, reflecting broader societal struggles. A Pew Research report reveals that while many Americans navigate their busy lives without feeling overwhelmed, some feel weighed down by the grind. About 60 percent of U.S. adults occasionally feel too busy to enjoy life, though only 12 percent experience this consistently. Similarly, just 11 percent believe their fast-paced lifestyle harms their health. Social connections also appear to be a challenge for some. While three-quarters of Americans are somewhat satisfied with their social lives, 26 percent are at least somewhat dissatisfied, including 8 percent who are very dissatisfied. Even more telling, one-third of adults say they only sometimes have someone they can turn to for support, and 10 percent rarely or never feel that way. Enzo’s dramatic protest against his walk serves as a lighthearted reflection of the frustrations many people feel in their day-to-day lives, sparking both laughter and introspection. As one viewer succinctly put it, “I don’t know, my brain seems to think randomly turning off to avoid stress is the way to go.” Stock image of a grumpy golden retriever. The same breed refusing to go on a walk has left the internet in hysterics. FocalFinder/iStock/Getty Images Plus While shutting down to escape stress might seem like a natural reaction, it doesn’t have to be so serious. Sometimes, a simple laugh can work wonders. Research has shown that laughter truly is the best medicine, with the power to alleviate stress and improve overall well-being. A study published in PLOS ONE revealed that spontaneous laughter effectively reduces cortisol levels—the body’s primary stress hormone—helping to mitigate stress responses and promote relaxation. Newsweek reached out to @enzosgoldenadventure for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. Read More

PUBLISHED ONDecember 12, 2024 12:12 AMByShaffiq Alkhatib A manager of a home-based pet grooming salon appeared in a district court on Dec 11 over the death of a dog she had allegedly left unattended on a table. Vanessa Chiu Yan Er, 29, who is also a partner at Pawkins SG, the home-based salon, was charged with one count of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to a corgi named Fendi in a unit of a Serangoon Central block of flats around 1.45pm on July 24. This case first made headlines in July, after a video of a dog falling off a grooming table and being hanged to death with its leash went viral online. According to court documents, Chiu was Fendi’s groomer, and she allegedly failed to secure the dog with a “double arm lock” and left it unattended on the table. The three-year-old dog slipped off the table and died after it was hanged by its neck with its leash for an extended period. In a video posted on Instagram on July 24, six dogs seen in a room start to bark after being triggered by something off camera. No one can be seen in the footage at this point. [[nid:695085]] A brown dog tied to a table then falls off it at 1.42pm, according to the video’s timestamp. It struggles for about a minute to get back onto the table on its own, but fails to do so. It eventually stops moving. In a separate video earlier seen by The Straits Times, a woman is seen entering the room at 2.17pm and moving towards that dog. She picks the dog up and places it back on the table before knocking on an adjacent door. Fendi’s owner, Ms Sonia Tan, 24, told The Straits Times that the salon informed her about the death at 3.14pm that day after it took the dog to a vet. Chiu’s case will be mentioned again in court on Jan 15, 2025. A first-time offender convicted of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $40,000. This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction. Read More

The moment a rescue dog cried to her owner for a specific spot on the couch has left social media users demanding justice for the fur baby. TikTok user @rmveabaq662’s 4-year-old rescue dog was born under a trailer in Alabama, but after being adopted, she only knows a life of luxury. She went from being rescued to a house princess in an instant, learning she could get her way if she cried and whined. She also became specific about what she wants, with her favorite thing being the couch, which she found was a safe haven with multiple uses—for cozying up with her owners or as a perch to perform her neighborhood watch duties. But she was up in paws when her owner took a specific spot on her couch. In the November 9 TikTok video, the rescue dog protested and stared at her owner in disbelief. How dare her spot be taken? After all she went through before getting adopted, she’s still getting mistreated? Her owner should know better than that. The dog huffed and puffed, slightly stomping her paws to show she meant business. She cried for the spot right that very second. In the clip, the owner didn’t budge. She’s used to her dog demanding specifics and wanted to film it for others to see her rags-to-riches rescue’s request. “This happens all the time,” the owner told Newsweek via TikTok. “Especially in regards to getting the exact spot she wants on the couch.” A TikTok video shows a rescue dog crying to her owner, who took her couch spot. The dog was demanding that her owner give up the spot. @rmveabaq662/TikTok The clip has over 291,200 views on TikTok, and people were cracking up over the dog’s protest, even though a different and open couch was available for her to use. The owner assured them there was a method to her madness. One comment reads: “That couch is for greeting guests and looking out the window and the other couch is for being cozy- rules she made up on her own.” Other people wrote in the comments section how they felt for the dog, saying she deserved that spot. Plus, as one person put it, she had “some very valid arguments.” “Girl, if you don’t get out of her spot!!” a viewer demanded. A second echoed: “It is required that she gets her spot!! Now!!!” Another added: “The stress yawns when they’re pouting always trips me out.” Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. Read More

A woman has gone viral for showcasing the sight that greets her every time she finishes her long shift as a nurse, causing social media users to praise her “rich” life. Madeline Smith, 28, is a nurse in Houston, Texas, where she typically works 12-hour shifts—and at the end of each day she is greeted by her “selfless husband” Jerred, 34, and their two rescue dogs, Margot and Maya. “My selfless husband started getting up super early with me, taking me to work, and picking me up after his work day about five years ago and has always brought our two girls,” Smith told Newsweek. “He asks them every time before it’s time to leave ‘Do you wanna go get Mama?’ and they lose their minds with excitement.” This was captured in a viral video that Smith posted to her TikTok account, @madtotherescue, on November 30, and which has since racked up over 167,000 likes. It shows Smith leaving work to see her husband’s car parked out front, and two very excited dogs leaning out of the windows, along with the words: “My husband drops me off and picks me up for every single nursing shift. This is my view whenever I’m done with my day and ready to go home.” As she gets closer to the car, black-and-white dog Maya hangs out the rear window, while Margot pops up in the front passenger seat, each of them panting and squirming, eager to greet their owner. Madeline Smith’s dogs, Maya and Margot, greet her every evening once she’s finished her 12-hour nursing shift. Her husband brings her to work and collects her every day. TikTok @madtotherescue As Smith approaches Maya, the dog’s tail is wagging so furiously it was compared to a helicopter by one person in the comments. “Ma’am there is a helicopter in your backseat,” they wrote, as another said the dogs were “gonna take off.” Many TikTok commenters told Smith how lucky she is. One wrote “You are rich,” and another doubled down: “Oh so you’re rich rich.” Smith, who also posts about her dogs on Instagram under the same user name, told Newsweek both pets were rescues, and that adopting Maya saved her from being euthanized. “I love that they feel like family and know who their mama is,” she said. The couple rescued both dogs, who are now adored pets. Smith revealed Maya had been due to be euthanized before she became part of their family. TikTok @madtotherescue Around 3.1 million dogs enter shelters across the U.S. each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The number of shelter animals put down each year has declined massively, from 2.6 million in 2011 to an estimated 920,000 a year. Smith added: “When they arrive at the hospital they sit and just stare at the door, and when they see me their tails start going a mile a minute. It truly turns a bad day into a good one and a good day into a great one.” Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. Read More

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — After a nearly weeklong search, Athena found her way home to her Florida family in time for Christmas Eve and even rang the doorbell. Athena, a 4-year-old German Shepherd and Husky mix, escaped her home in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on Dec. 15, prompting a search among the community and nearby towns for her. Her owner, Brooke Comer, said her family left for church that day and got a message from her neighbor with a picture of Athena outside the house. Comer panicked. Her family rushed home to find her collar in the crate and no visible opening Athena could have gotten out from. How she escaped remains a mystery. The next week’s events continued to be an “unbelievable” story for Comer, where neighbors and community members from nearby towns would contact her from her missing dog ads and send any footage or photos where they may have spotted Athena. Based on all the alerts Comer got, it looked like Athena made a nearly 20-mile (32-kilometer) roundtrip while she was missing. At every alert, Comer and her family would go to the spot within minutes and search for Athena — to no avail. “She was the hide-and-seek all time grand champion,” Comer said. “With every sighting my heart jumped, and it honestly was excitement and then your heart’s crushed because we were always one step behind.” The entire search was a terrifying and scary experience for Comer, who was worried about where her already skittish dog could have gone or could have encountered. That was until 2:30 a.m. Christmas Eve, when she got a Ring video notification from her doorbell and her other dog began barking. “I was kind of like in a daze, and the dog was barking, and as soon as I heard that ring, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell,” Comer said. As soon as Comer opened the door, Athena bolted inside and went to go lick her son’s face, who was on the couch half-asleep. After that, she immediately grabbed her ball to play and shortly went to her cage to go back to sleep. Comer said the experience gave so much hope because of the neighbors and the large community looking for Athena for the past week. The next plan was to get Athena a full exam, flea and tick treatments and a microchip. Read More

An animal rescue is offering a reward for any information following the rescue of a who suffered heartbreaking cruelty. On October 10, a dog, named “Cowgirl” by the Humane Society of Yuma (HSOY) staff, was discovered in a canal in Yuma, Arizona, with her legs tightly bound and covered in mud. “Concerned citizens found her in an empty canal with mud. Her front legs were bound together with what seemed to be electrical tape and her hind legs were bound together with rope. Animal Control was notified and on the scene right away to help rescue her,” Lauren Weinberg from the Humane Society of Yuma told Newsweek. More From Newsweek Vault: Walmart+ Members Get New Perk Aimed at Pet Owners A picture of Cowgirl the dog after her rescue. She has since been adopted into a new home. The Humane Society of Yuma Fearful, hungry and scared, Cowgirl was covered head to toe in mud. “The bindings were so tight they were constricting her blood flow so her paws were swollen. She had trouble walking and seemed to be very weak,” Weinberg said. Our medical staff immediately evaluated her and tended to her needs.” HSOY is now offering a $2,200 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this act of cruelty. More From Newsweek Vault: The Top Rewards Credit Cards for Pet Owners Yuma County Sheriff’s Office told Newsweek: “There was an animal cruelty report in regards to this incident. At this time, there is not much information to share. There are no suspects in custody. Any information from the public is encouraged.” In a post on its Facebook page, HSOY urged the community to come forward with any information about Cowgirl’s abuse. The group said: “Despite everything she has been through, Cowgirl has a very sweet nature and has shown incredible resilience.” Cowgirl’s story sparked an outpouring of support on social media. Facebook user Alissa L. Peña Pacheco commented: “That’s so insanely cruel… If I could, I would come get her right now!” Another commenter, Victoria Crookshank, said: “Reading about her makes my heart cry. Thank goodness she is in good care.” More From Newsweek Vault: Pet Insurance 101: How Much Does It Cost and Is It Worth the Price? Thanks to the support of the Yuma Humane Society, Cowgirl is now doing much better—and has found a new loving home. “During her stay at the shelter, she spent some time in our administration office, where it was calmer and quieter than the kennels,” Weinberg said. “She is still a little timid at first with new people but once she gets to know you she’ll cover you with kisses. We have since spayed her and she has already been adopted into a loving home.” Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. Read More