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Puppy Beaten with Shovel, Buried in Snow in South Bronx

By Eddie Small | January 30, 2015 4:02pm
 Hennessy, pictured here with the arresting officers and veterinary technicians, was beaten with a shovel and buried in the snow on Friday, police said.
Hennessy, pictured here with the arresting officers and veterinary technicians, was beaten with a shovel and buried in the snow on Friday, police said.
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NYPD

LONGWOOD — A six-month-old puppy named Hennessy was punched, beaten with a shovel and buried in the snow on Friday morning in The Bronx, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call about the dog around 3 a.m. and arrived at 855 E. 167th St. to find the pup buried up to its neck in the snow, police said.

“The dog was crying, whimpering,” said a police source who was on the scene. “All I could see was its face sticking out.”

Officers dug the pup out of the snow and saw that it had been very mistreated, according to the NYPD. It was taken to the ASPCA in Manhattan for treatment.

About an hour later, police arrested 43-year-old Raul Cruz, the dog's owner, and charged him with animal cruelty. Witnesses had identified him as the person who beat the dog, police said.

Cruz had been arrested multiple times before but not since 2004, when he was charged with marijuana possession, according to police.

The exact nature of the injuries was not clear, and the ASPCA said it was too soon to comment on Hennessy's final prognosis.

However, officers said they were optimistic that she would recover from her injuries.

“Right now, it looks like she’s going to be OK,” said a police source.

It was not clear if the dog would be put up for adoption.