Small terrier-mix named Champ shot and left to die

Waianae, Hawaii (November 15, 2012) – In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization based in San Rafael, California, has added $2,000 to a reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever shot a small terrier-mix named Champ, leaving him paralyzed. Champ had to be euthanized due to the extent of his injuries.

“The cold-bloodedness of this horrific crime indicates what a danger this person is to all of us,” said Eric Phelps, Emergency Response Unit Coordinator for IDA. “Someone knows who did this, and he or she will be serving the entire community by stepping forward.” Phelps added that studies have repeatedly shown, and the FBI and other law enforcement agencies agree, that a person who commits cruelty to animals very often moves on to commit acts of violence against people, especially when the cruelty to animals goes unpunished.

Neighbor and witness Kalia Novajosky reported hearing gunshots around 7:30 a.m. on November 12 and saw a small dog limping in the street. “I got to the front door and I tried to look both ways to see if I could see anybody or something and I didn’t,” she told KHNL TV. “It wasn’t like a vicious stray dog. He had a collar on. He was with another dog and they were really friendly. To shoot a dog that has a collar you know they are somebody’s friend. It’s just really disturbing.”

Even more heart-wrenching is that Champ’s friend stayed by his side during this ordeal – licking his wounds and trying to comfort him.
Neighbor Maimun Yusuf told KHNL TV, “It was really sad. You can see how the dog loved the other dog so much.”

IDA urges anyone with information about this brutal attack to contact the Hawaiian Humane Society at (808) 356-2250 or Honolulu CrimeStoppers at  (808) 955-8300. To contribute to the reward fund, please call IDA at (415) 448-0048, ext. 218.

Contact: Eric Phelps, eric@idausa.org, 503-754-0977