Puppy needs help with medical bills
By Jeff Chorney HAYWARD -- A local animal group is raising money to help pay the medical bills for a puppy that was nearly killed when a man allegedly threw it against a wall. The man, a 19-year-old Hayward resident, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and drug charges. He is not being identified because he has been charged with misdemeanors, not felonies. The puppy, a 7-week-old male pit bull terrier, was seized by police Feb. 9 and taken to an emergency animal hospital. Now, Alta Vista Veterinary Clinic in Hayward is providing medical care. Although the doctor there has discounted her rates, the bill already is estimated to be between $3,000 and $5,000, said Christine Bowman, clinic office manager. "You should have seen the puppy when it came in. It was awful. He was crying and howling," Bowman said. The puppy had a broken leg, a fractured rib and head injuries. His brain was swollen, and he vomited and had seizures. Although the dog now is eating on his own, the brain swelling has left him blind -- a condition Bowman and others hope is only temporary. The dog's name was "Tek," but the clinic renamed him "Cupid" because he started to get better on Valentine's Day, Bowman said. According to a police report, the man argued with his pregnant, 20-year-old girlfriend about sex, choked the dog and threw him against a wall mirror at the home the couple shares with the man's mother, then put a gun to his head and threatened to kill himself. Police arrested the man, who was on probation, that same day and found drugs in his room. He is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court today. If the dog recovers, the Hayward Animal Shelter will put him up for adoption.
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