Neglected SoCal dog found with shoelace embedded around neck

A Southern California dog found this week with a shoelace embedded around her neck is a victim of major neglect and cruelty, according to Animal Services.

The German shepherd mix was found Thursday sitting in the middle of a street near Perris, southeast of Riverside. Ernesto Perez, 19, was heading home from working a graveyard shift noticed the dog walking toward him, so he offered her some food.

Perez told police the dog looked very thin and had a “bad smell, a nasty smell,” according to a release. He said he didn’t realize how bad her situation was until the next day when he was getting ready to go to work.

“Honestly, I thought her head was going to come off — that’s how deep it looked,” Perez said. “It’s crazy. I have never seen anything like that. I don’t know how anyone could let a dog get like that.”

Riverside police officer John Hergenreder said the case “is one of the more serious cases of neglect I have seen.” Animal Services officials who inspected the dog said she had had a shoelace tied around her neck for so long the fur had worn away, leaving only dead skin.

The wound is an inch deep at its worst and can’t be closed right now due to infection. The dog could recover, but “it’s going to be a long journey,” according to Animal Services Director Robert Miller.

They said the shoelace had likely been there since the dog was a puppy. The dog is about 18 months old now.

Miller said he’s seen embedded collars before, but this one is especially brutal.

“This is clearly a major neglect cruelty case,” he said. “We are stunned, like so many others will be, when they see how this dog was left to suffer as such. We can only hope that this case will also remind pet owners to never tie cords or twines around a dog’s neck. Dog collars also have adjustable lengths for a reason.”