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LYNWOOD, Calif. () — A husky was found hanging in Lynwood last week, and his death is under investigation as an animal cruelty incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.
The 9-year-old dog, named Ruso, was found in an alley behind a strip mall on Oct. 5 at 12200 Long Beach Blvd., the dog’s owner told Eyewitness News.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, Ruso was found hanging from a metal security door with an orange leash.
Deputies were continuing to interview possible witnesses and following any potential leads in the search for a suspect.
“The incident is both horrific and heartbreaking,” the sheriff’s department said in a news release. “Our hearts are with the family of Ruso as the investigation continues.”
The dog’s owner, Filiberto Reyes, told the L.A. Times that a man and woman were seen by a neighbor outside the fence of his home. He said the pair may have agitated Ruso, prompting him to bite the woman. According to Reyes, the couple then used food to lure the dog out of the yard, and the dog was later found hanged with a leash from a metal security door behind a doughnut shop on Long Beach Boulevard.
Reyes told Eyewitness News that his family began looking for Ruso on Sunday after believing the husky had gotten out of their fenced yard.
Surveillance video shows a man walking with Ruso in an alley.
A couple of hours later, neighbors told Reyes there was video on the Citizen app showing Ruso hanging in an alley.
Reyes said he believes the man seen in the surveillance footage is responsible for the dog’s death and has shared that information with law enforcement.
In a statement, the city of Lynwood said the sheriff’s department is leading an active investigation into Ruso’s death.
“The City of Lynwood is deeply saddened and disturbed by the reported animal cruelty incident that has caused significant concern throughout our community,” the statement read.
City officials said graphic video of Ruso’s death was circulating online, causing concern in the community.
In a Facebook comment on the city’s statement, Jessica Vuittonet said, “Some sick individual(s) hung a poor dog from a door; it’s very sad and extremely upsetting. I really hope they catch the person or persons who did this. It makes me very angry to see things like this and to think that anyone thinks it’s OK to hurt animals.”
In another comment, Cherly Horton asked, “Do we need to be concerned about our dogs’ safety in our backyards?”
In a follow-up statement, the city said officials are in close communication with the sheriff’s department, and said the city “shares the community’s desire for a thorough investigation.”
In a comment on that post, Griselda Hidalgo said, “I hope they get him. Let’s keep sharing. Poor fur baby.”
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