A package thief who stole Christmas gifts in Fontana almost was responsible for the death of Sparky — a bouncy and adorable dog who was hit by a car and lost for two days after the thief failed to close the gate behind him.
Now, because of the severity of his injuries, Sparky must have a leg amputated.
Luckily, the 2½-year-old Australian blue heeler, or cattle dog, the same breed as Bluey in the eponymous hit TV show, has not lost his signature sparkle.
“He’s in such good spirits now that he’s home,” said his owner, David Lopez. “He’s limping around with the cast on his leg.”
Sparky and Lopez’s second dog, a golden retriever named Blazer, both went missing Dec. 3 shortly after the porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera leaving the yard with the gate wide open.
But although Blazer returned home that night, his best friend, Sparky, was nowhere to be found.
“My golden retriever was so depressed at that time,” Lopez said. “He was just like sitting outside, not barking at anybody or playing fetch.”
Lopez’s family searched for Sparky for nearly two days to no avail. That was until a sixth sense drew Lopez back to a neighbor’s home that he already checked. He knocked again and although the neighbor said she hadn’t seen Sparky, she agreed to let Lopez look in her yard.
As he walked around yelling Sparky’s name, Lopez heard a rustling behind him.
“I took a deep breath and, when I looked back again, I saw him pop out of the bushes,” he said. “It was just a jaw-dropping moment.”
Although Lopez was overjoyed to find Sparky alive, he was horrified at his pup’s condition. Sparky had a deep, severe cut from his hip down to his paw and barely could limp over to Lopez.
“As soon as I saw that, I put my hands on my head in shock,” he said. “I picked him up off the floor, cradled him in my arms, and we drove him to the animal hospital.”
Veterinarians believe Sparky was struck by a car and dragged down the asphalt street, tearing ligaments and leaving him with a bone-deep wound — and his family with significant medical bills.
Although he was given many stitches that night, veterinarians ultimately decided it would be necessary to amputate the leg. Lopez’s girlfriend, Krystal Altamirano, started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of the surgery, which is scheduled for Friday.
“Losing our Christmas gifts was already painful … but nothing compares to seeing our dog suffering like this and not having the funds to save him,” she wrote in the fundraiser. “The timing, the holidays, everything hitting at once — it’s overwhelming.”
Lopez filed a police report for the package thief but hasn’t heard of developments in the investigation and is asking the public to report any sightings of the vehicle involved in the crime, which can be seen in the Ring camera footage.
He hopes the thief can be held accountable for the harm that came to Sparky.
“Packages are replaceable, but my dog is now going to be missing a part of him,” Lopez said. “I really didn’t want to see that happen, but it’s the only way to keep my dog alive now.”
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