Rubidoux, Calif. – Easter Sunday was not a good day for a puppy who suffered and perished after being run over three times.

According to a Facebook post, a man in a black Mercedes sedan ran over a puppy on Sunday afternoon on a street in Rubidoux, Calif., which is in Riverside County. A witness present at the scene said the driver kind of hesitated, or stopped for a bit, as if he understood what he had done. The puppy begins to writhe and cry out in pain

According to the witness, a woman—presumably, the puppy’s owner—ran up to the car and yelled at the driver. Why neither she, nor any of her other family members, tried to help their puppy is not known. 

The driver’s reaction to the woman is unimaginable. He backed up and ran over the puppy again. The puppy suffered even more. The driver then drove forward and ran over the puppy a third time before taking off. By this time, the puppy is suffering horribly and dying. He finally succumbed to his injuries in the very spot where he was run over.

The witness recorded the incident using his mobile phone. He sent the puppy’s owners the video so that they could report the incident and show the authorities the driver’s license plate number. Someone—maybe the witness or the puppy’s owner—also uploaded it on facebook, hoping that someone could help identify the man driving the black Mercedes who took the puppy’s life.

Intending only to find the culprit responsible for killing the puppy, the video triggered strong emotional reactions from the animal-loving community. Although many responded by trying to help, others were not so kind. Instead, they chose to harass the person who posted the video by sending him harassing personal messages. For that reason, he removed the video, but not before it was shared multiple times.

The video is extremely graphic and upsetting. It is currently posted on The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation’s facebook page, but it is advised that you use extreme caution before you choose to watch it.

The law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over this matter is the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The agency is aware of this incident and is urging witnesses, via its Facebook page, to contact them so that they can further investigate this as an animal cruelty case. Witnesses are asked to call (951) 776-1099 or (800) 950-2444. The Department has the driver’s license plate number. 

Many people in the animal-loving community are angry and upset. Those emotions are understandable, but how people respond to them matters. Acting impulsively and irrationally by harassing either the Sheriff’s Department, the puppy’s owners, or the person who posted the video on social media, does not help. 

Justice requires that witnesses to this horrific event come forward, including the puppy’s owners. This case needs to be immediately investigated as an animal cruelty case. Again, the number to call is (951) 776-1099, or (800) 950-2444. 

People are urged to keep their pets leashed in public places, especially in high-traffic areas.