On July 3, 2024, just before sunset, two hikers had been passing by a ravine in Malibu Creek Canyon, some 250 feet down the side of the road, when they discovered an abandoned dog.
The furvictim, a male German Shepherd now named Argon and estimated to be about 7 years old, was found with zip ties around his mouth and neck.
The hikers alerted Lost Hills Sheriff's Station and County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control and then managed to remove the zip tie from Argon’s mouth before officials arrived.
When officials responded to the scene, they helped the hikers bring Argon to safety.
In Defense Of Animals reports that Argon was first taken to the Palmdale Animal Care Center to be treated and then to the Agoura Animal Care Center.
According to In Defense Of Animals, “Veterinarians found he had a lot of inflammation, and warts and skin tags on his legs, stomach and groin. It was suspected he was exposed to poison oak, and that he may be suffering from lymphoma.”
On July 11, 2024, Argon was placed in the care of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County and a week later the rescue posted an update on their Facebook page.
Part of the post read: “A lot has happened since Argon found his way to GSROC. He remains at our vet for ongoing care, receiving treatment to reduce the edema (swelling) around all of his joints. His lymph notes in his neck are huge--the size of ping-pong balls. He is still very, very thin, but eating very well--many small meals each day to gradually put weight on him. The official diagnosis is lymphoma, but we are awaiting some more sophisticated test results to determine what level the cancer has reached and whether it is B or T cell treatment required.”
As reported by In Defense Of Animals, Maria Dales, Founder and Director of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County said in a statement: “Argon is an incredible mixture of strength and softness. He survived abandonment and abuse, yet miraculously, he remains a gentle soul. He seems to sense that we are all here to help him and his trust level is growing. He doesn't appear to be as introverted as he was when he arrived. He will see a veterinary oncologist next week so we can determine the next steps of his treatment plan.
Someone, somewhere knows who this dog belonged to and can help authorities apprehend the person who harmed this beautiful dog. We are hoping that someone in the public will have the courage and compassion to get this cruel abuser off the streets.”
The reward offered for information leading to the arrest of the despicable individual(s) is now $25,000.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the public response. So many people are concerned about Argon and want to see his abuser held accountable. Someone knows this dog and the person who hurt him. We hope this huge reward offer encourages that person to step forward and share their tip with us so we can get justice for Argon”, said Fleur Dawes, Communications Director at In Defense of Animals.
I want to say to that someone who knows who abandoned Argon, that if you don’t come forward and speak up, you are just as guilty!
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