Abandoned German Shepherd left for dead in Malibu Creek Canyon with mouth and neck bound by zip-ties is miraaculously on the road to recovery as reward rockets in hunt for abusers

Nov 01, 2024

By Sandra Clark For Dailymail.com 17:22 16 Jul 2024, updated 18:38 17 Jul 2024

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The abandoned German Shepherd that was left for dead in a remote area of Malibu is now on the road to recovery as animal activists launch efforts to bring its abusers to justice, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Nicknamed Argon by his caretakers, the helpless seven-year-old dog was found with its mouth and neck zip-tied on July 3.

Two hikers had been passing by a ravine in Malibu Creek Canyon, some 250 feet down the side of the road, just before sunset.

It is unknown how long the dog had been alone in the wild and how he managed to survive as he was unable to pant, let alone drink water or eat.

The pooch was later taken to the Agoura Animal Care Center near Malibu where he was treated for a week before being moved to German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County.

'Thank goodness for those hikers because if they weren't there, I think he would have been attacked by animals, you know coyotes, he couldn't defend himself,' Maria Dales, the founder of the non-profit, told DailyMail.com last week.

California animal rights organization In Defense of Animals has now been at the forefront of finding the heartless person who abandoned the dog.

But Argon is not out of the woods yet. He was taken to Saddleback Animal Hospital in Orange County on July 10 where he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a double ear infection, and trauma to his hind legs. X-rays revealed no broken bones.

More tests are needed to determine the severity of the cancer and what treatment is most suitable.

'It's a miracle he's alive,' said Dales who admitted that upon first seeing Argon she cried. 'He looked so sad.

'He was vacant, like the whole world had let him down.'

'I looked at his feet right away because that was my biggest fear, that they were going to be all torn up, and burned. I wanted to see how long he had been out there, how swollen his paws were.

'Fortunately, his paws didn't look raw, so to me maybe he wasn't out there as long as we all feared he was. Let's hope he was found fairly quickly.'

While Argon's health and energy appears to have improved since being rescued, the road to recovery will likely be a long one.

Finding him a permanent home may also prove to be a challenge, Dales said.

'Today he was much more spirited than yesterday. I could rub him on his nose, but he's still not ready to cuddle with anyone. He's traumatized, but little by little his character and personality is coming back. He's not as fearful. It's a good thing.'

'If he has to stay with us for the rest of his life, we have a wonderful facility that we own. We call it the sanctuary.'

The facility in Rialto 55 miles south of Los Angeles currently houses 34 dogs .

'We have a swimming pool, some of them love to swim, some don't like it. We have water therapy. We have a hydrotherapy tank, we have cold laser treatment, that's to stimulate cell growth, we have a play yard.'

Dales, however, admits that dogs like Argon are 'tougher to place', due to a variety of factors.

'I won't say unadoptable, but slower to be adopted. They are either old or have a hang up, maybe it's a behavior. Maybe they don't like children.'

She added: 'Yesterday he threw up, he just threw up bile, just watery stuff, but today he ate and kept it down. He won't take a treat.

'I think it's a trust thing right now, just the whole behavior of diverting his eyes and looking away is a natural instinct to avoid confrontation. I think he just learned to adapt and stay low and not cause any trouble, and stay out of everyone's way.'

Dales, who founded her rescue in 1999, said she was shocked Argon didn't overheat while out in the canyon area, especially after being unable to drink or cool itself down.

Fleur Dawes, Communications Director of In Defense of Animals told DailyMail.com the German Shepherd wouldn't have survived had he been found later.

'Dogs are able to cool down by panting, something Argon was prevented from doing with a zip tie around his mouth. Additionally, he wouldn't have been able to drink water or eat.

'The pure agony this poor dog was put through is just unimaginable and unconscionable,' said Dawes.

'No water, extreme heat and no ability to defend itself. We don't know how long the dog was out there, but with his muzzle shut like that, unable to at least pant, his chances for survival would have been impossible had he not been found. He was left for dead.'

Dawes added: 'The really important thing is that Argon is now in a specialized rescue that can give him proper care and attention that he really needs.'

Video footage provided by In Defense of Animals, show one of the hikers speaking to the dog in a soft voice as he attempts to remove the zip tie.

He crouched down near the dog so he could get on his level and gain his trust and once he did he was able to reach over and take off the zip tie. The dog was then given some much needed water and food.

'You can see his sweet face. The two hikers stayed with him until responders arrived and they both, like all of us, want justice.'

The hikers who asked to remain anonymous described the dog as shy, but said it eventually warmed up, allowing them to pet him and feed him food from their hands.

One of the hikers reached out to In Defense of Animals with the details and footage in hopes of finding the abuser, Dawes explained.

According to the initial veterinarian, the pup had been exposed to poison oak and was suffering from inflammation, and warts and skin tags were found on his tummy and groin area.

'On the justice side of things is where we come into play. We are receiving tips from the public and we still need more,' said Dawes.

'Some of them sound pretty legit. Hopefully, it would be amazing if we can get more information and make an arrest on one of these subjects. That's why the reward is so important.

'The response has been overwhelming. Once we put an award out, things really started snowballing. We went out with a $2,500 reward, and then that was doubled, then tripled and now quadrupled. We are up to $12,000.'

Peace for Animals initially matched the reward, and then an additional $2,500 reward was offered by Hollywood Producer Marc Gurvitz of Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

In Defense of Animals is the leading organization working to get justice for animals in the country.

'The first step is putting out the reward,' Dawes told DailyMail.com.

'The next step after they get arrested, is putting the case together by working very closely with law enforcement to let them know what laws they should be charged under, and to make sure they not just hit with a misdemeanor, when they could be getting a felony and charging them with multiple counts and not just a single count. '

'We pursue criminals who abuse animals to the fullest extent of the law and make sure that they get a stinging punishment. We also work to push for stronger laws. The first step is finding the suspect, the next trip is putting the case together.

'We do about 50 to 60 cases a year. We actually don't have a lawyer. We are quite a small team but we have a lot of expertise when it comes to animal abuse and animal laws.'

The pure agony this poor dog was put through is just unimaginable and unconscionable

She said many members of law enforcement are unclear about the law when it comes to animals or they are not willing to enforce it.

'That unfortunately goes for judges too. We have to do a lot of heavy lifting as well and make sure that they use the law properly.

'It takes a long time to get laws passed but it's really, really important work. There are so many loopholes that enable people to do things that they shouldn't be able to do.

Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) Director, Marcia Mayeda said: 'The circumstances in which this dog was found are horrific, and an affront to human decency and our role as responsible stewards to our pets.

'DACC thanks the Good Samaritans who found this poor creature, and wants to ensure the public that he is getting all the care he needs as we investigate how this crime occurred.'

In Defense of Animals is appealing to the public for any information that may lead to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for this act of cruelty.

For more information or to donate visit In Defense of Animals website

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