BROWNSVILLE — The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office is asking the sheriff’s department to further investigate the case of a puppy that was doused with hot oil.
Although the sheriff’s department had submitted the case to the DA’s office, the office sent the case back to the sheriff’s department for more information.
“We thank you for your interest, although the Sheriff’s Office has turned in the case, upon review the determination was made that further work was required; as such, the file was returned to the Sheriff’s Office for further investigation,” District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said in a statement.
“At this point we continue to await the case file’s resubmission. Please continue to be patient with us as we want to ensure that justice is served accordingly,”
The 2-month-old pit bull puppy named Phoenix was discovered severely burned Sept. 14 after hot oil was tossed on it.
In an earlier interview, Sheriff Omar Lucio said that upon further investigation it seemed the owner didn’t mean to douse the puppy with hot oil on purpose.
“It was learned that immediately after the injury was sustained, the canine was brought to its owner, who did in fact render aid to the canine,” Lucio said. “It appears the injuries sustained were not intentional, it was a terrible accident.”
The injured puppy was first taken to the Brownsville Animal Regulation and Care Center. It was later transported to the Harlingen Humane Society, where it was treated for its injuries.
A petition was started online that called for Lucio and Saenz to stand up against animal abuse. The petition wants charges to be filed against the person responsible for dousing the puppy with hot oil.
