Rescue dog stolen from Paw Works dies of injuries after being found on side of 101 Freeway

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Employees at Paw Works Animal Rescue are hoping to identify the suspect who broke into their Camarillo facility and stole a rescue dog.  

"Pretty Girl" was stolen Wednesday night after someone picked the lock and broke into the building.  

The animal rescue says Pretty Girl was abused and found Thursday morning on the side of the 101 freeway with life-threatening injuries. A passerby found the dog and took her to the Paw Works Veterinary Hospital where she later died.  

The Paw Works team says Pretty Girl had severe back, neck, and head trauma along with intense bruising and bleeding in her abdomen as well as swelling around her rectum.  

"We think she was fighting for her life, she is not a dog that takes easy to strangers she is a very loyal dog and if you saw in that video she was fighting him off and he was hitting her," an employee of Paw Works said in an Instagram post.  

Security footage shows a person in a hoodie walking around the shelter and approaching multiple dog crates. It appears the suspect tried to steal another dog, but that dog fought him off. The suspect then approached Pretty Girl’s crate, opened it up and took her. Pretty Girl also tried to fight the suspect off, but the suspect hit her, often times bringing her to the ground.  

Employees believe Pretty Girl tried to fight off her attacker in the car and she either jumped out of the car or the suspect pushed her out.  

The identity of the suspect is unknown, anyone with information is urged to call Paw Works.