Authorities in Westchester County are searching for a person who dumped a Chihuahua inside of a tied-up garbage bag last week.
A surveillance video captured the person who drove up to a local animal rescue group in Elmsford on April 28 and dropped off the dog inside a plastic tub before driving off, according to SPCA of Westchester. The dog, now named Rue, wasn't found until 17 hours later.
"We saw where she had clawed out from the bag and we saw the blood from where she tore her nails off trying to get out," said Jennifer Angelucci, the president and CEO of Paws Crossed Animal Rescue.
"It was disturbing and it was hard to stay composed after that," Angelucci added.
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Rue was brought to the SPCA's animal care campus where she received veterinary care. Rescuers said the canine was lucky she had avoided suffocating inside the black garbage bag.
"This was intentional. This wasn't somebody just abandoning the dog. This was done with purpose," said Ernest Lungaro, director of the Humane Law Enforcement Divison of the SPCA of Westchester.
The dog is expected to fully recover and the SPCA said she will soon be up for adoption.
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Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call the SPCA's confidential hotline at (914) 941-7797.
