Authorities are searching for the owner of a German shepherd who was seriously injured after being dragged alongside a truck then left in the road in Mead Valley.
Residents on Carter Drive told investigators that they shouted, waved and chased the Toyota pickup driver down as they saw the dog being dragged shortly before 7 p.m. July 29, according to a news release from the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
One of the residents then called 911 after they saw the hound, a 7-month-old named Beauty, was knowingly left in the roadway, officials said.
A sheriff’s deputy responded and the situation was initially reported as an accident, with Beauty somehow falling or jumping from the truck bed.
The driver allegedly told the deputy that she was playing loud music, so she didn’t realize the shepherd was being dragged.
Beauty suffered serious abrasions to her paws and abdomen, and the woman promised she would take her in for treatment, according to Animal Services.
But — for reasons still under investigation — the shepherd was abandoned on Carter Drive, which is when Animal Services was called. The agency picked her up and took her to an emergency clinic.
Graphic video released by Animal Services shows some of the deep wounds Beauty was treated for on all four limbs.
“It can be shocking what we experience,” Officer Will Luna, who responded to rescue Beauty from the street, said in a statement. “But, fortunately, my colleagues are very good at caring for injured, abandoned pets.”
The dog is now being treated at the Jurupa Valley shelter, with veterinary staff treating her wounds and replacing her bandages each evening, officials said.
Luna is continuing to investigate the matter and working to track down Beauty’s rightful owner.
If the owner fails to come forward, the shepherd will be adopted into a new home once she fully recovers.
Officials say they plan to provide ongoing updates on Beauty’s condition.