Reward of $5,000 Offered in Case of Dog Beaten and Killed with Baseball Bat

Contact: media@aldf.org

FAIRFIELD, Calif.—The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals—headquartered in Cotati, California, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for beating and killing a tan-colored pit bull, estimated to be approximately 4 years old. As no owner has been identified, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has nicknamed the dog “Justice.”

Just before noon on Thursday, September 28, 2017 a local resident heard a loud thumping noise coming from the alley behind his house, located south of Ohio and Webster Streets in Fairfield. When he went to investigate, the resident saw three men standing around a pit bull who was chained to a fence so that only his hind legs could touch the ground. One of the men, described as a slim black male in his twenties, struck the dog’s head with a baseball bat. Realizing they had been spotted, all three men fled in a gold SUV. The witness immediately notified the police, and neighbors drove the dog to Solano County Animal Shelter. The dog had suffered multiple severe injuries, including a fractured skull. Tragically, the dog died overnight at an emergency clinic.

Police are searching for any information regarding the identities of the three men involved. The vehicle is thought to be a 2004 or 2005 Chevy Tahoe, with a partial license plate of “WB2V.”

Under California law, any person convicted of maliciously and intentionally wounding or killing an animal can be imprisoned for up to three years in county jail and/or fined $20,000 for felony animal cruelty. In California, it is at the district attorney’s discretion whether animal cruelty is charged as a felony.

“This dog suffered a senseless and brutal act of violence, and we urge anyone with information to come forward,” says Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. “Studies have consistently demonstrated a link between animal cruelty and violence against humans. We thank the Fairfield Police Department for taking this crime seriously and working to protect the community—humans and animals alike.”

If you have information related to this incident, please contact the Fairfield Police Department Dispatch Center at 707-428-7300. You may also call the Fairfield Police Tip Line at 707-428-7345, Solano Crime Stoppers at 707-644-7867, or text “TIP FAIRFIELDPD” followed by your message to 888777. The Fairfield Police Department is also accepting anonymous tips in this case at any of the above numbers.