A small dog named Bart is receiving treatment at an animal hospital for serious injuries sustained when he was brutally kicked on a Venice sidewalk.
The attack on Wednesday sent the Yorkshire Terrier flying into the metal claw of a front-end loader on the street. The man who kicked Bart is also charged with hit someone on the head with a glass bottle on Wednesday.
Details about that victim’s injuries were not immediately available, but he was able to identify his attacker, police said.
The incident occurred on May 28 in Tecámac, State of Mexico. Little Roberto Martínez witnessed the death of his dog, “Scooby”. To see more from Telemundo, visit
Witnesses chased the man and held him until police arrived to take him into custody, police said. The 39-year-old man was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Officers tracked down video of the dog being kicked, police said. It showed Bart on the sidewalk in the path of a man who kicked him and then kept walking.
A former firefighter vacationing with her son helped revive the dog, according to Laura Valdivia, who opened a fundraising account to help her neighbor with Bart’s veterinary bills.
The fundraiser had raised more than $21,300 as of Monday morning.
“On the way (to the vet), Bart regained consciousness but continued to moan and convulse,” Valdivia said. “It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever heard. The ER stabilized him, but he said he suffered a traumatic brain injury.”
Valdivia posted an update saying that Bart is doing better. On Monday, he told sister station NBCLA that Bart is eating, but he still couldn’t get up.
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He also posted an update from the dog’s owner.
“From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone for helping me save my little dog. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but I will be with him every step of the way, and I am touched by the amount of support.”
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station, NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.
