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Who Beat Thomas? Puppy Found With Head Wound In Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A puppy was found beaten and left to fend for himself on the side of a Sacramento County road.

Staff at Sacramento County Animal Care didn't think the 2-month-old puppy would make it when he initially showed up at the shelter.

The pit bull mix was found injured on Peck Drive and Harley Way in South Sacramento. An X-ray revealed a 1.5-centimeter gash in his skull.

"Our vet staff noticed right away that it didn't appear to be consistent with an injury caused by a car, so rushed it into X-ray and there was blunt force trauma to the top of the puppy's skull," said Janna Haynes with the animal shelter on Bradshaw Road.

The damage done to the puppy made for a grim prognosis.

"We're not sure neurologically if he'll make a full recovery because there are bone fragments in his brain, but once the swelling goes down, hopefully, we'll be able to treat him to the point where he can have a somewhat normal life," she said.

So far he's proven to be resilient. Shelter staff named him Thomas after the popular children's tank engine, and the fact he's been the little puppy that could so far. He's been kept on antibiotics and fluids as well as pain medication to keep him comfortable.

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One thing is clear: Someone knows what happened, and shelter staff are looking for answers and justice for Thomas.

"Someone knows who owns this dog. People don't just own dogs in a vacuum, so we're hoping someone recognizes his pic and calls and says they know the owner," she said.

Thomas' owner may not be in trouble, because it's still unclear who hurt the dog. Anyone with information on the case can call city services at 311.

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