Warning: This story contains violent descriptions and video of animal abuse.
LINCOLN PARK — Neighbors are trying to track down a man who battered a puppy in front of them in broad daylight on a busy street, an attack that also was caught on video.
The attack happened around 5:45 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 1900 block of North Maud Avenue, police said. Surveillance video from a nearby building shows a man screeching his van to halt, grabbing a puppy out the trunk by the neck and hurling it across the street.
The dog, with its tail wagging, walks away and then back to the van. That’s when the man starts repeatedly punching the puppy in the face, the video shows at about 5 minutes and 50 seconds in. He lifts the puppy by the collar and throws it back into car, driving away after yelling expletives at bystanders trying to intervene.
Neighbor Paula Conrad, who lives blocks away from where the attack happened, has been communicating with witnesses and filed a police report Thursday, she said. The treatment of the puppy is “beyond disturbing and certainty animal cruelty,” Conrad said.
WARNING: DISTURBING, VIOLENT VIDEO
Witnesses filed 311 reports, but Conrad nor police could identify the license plate on the man’s car, she said. The case “has stalled” and Conrad hopes others will step up to identify the man.
“We need the story to get out there so Chicago can turn this guy in, and we can save this innocent dog,” Conrad said. “He threw the dog like a javelin across the street. If he’s doing this when it’s light outside, I can’t imagine what’s going on behind closed doors.”
The man was driving a light blue Dodge Caravan with a couple suitcases strapped to the top and a rear window covered in plastic, Conrad said. He appeared to be in his 20s, white with dark hair and a medium build, Conrad said.
The puppy is mostly white with black spots on its head and near its tail, Conrad said. It’s a mixed breed that witnesses described as a bigger puppy, maybe 10-12 months old, Conrad said.
Conrad said rescuing the puppy has become a personal mission and she hopes the owner will be arrested and charged for his actions.
“This stings so much much because it happened steps away from a shelter for PAWS. So if he sees this story, I urge him to drive back to that corner and bring the dog there,” Conrad said. “It deserves a chance at a good life.”
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