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In a heartwarming gesture, members of the Veterinary Emergency Group tended to little Stormy, making sure the 8-month-old pup suffered no internal injuries or broken bones, at no cost to owner Stacey Landsman of Rockland County.
"After the veterinary staff conducted a full exam, including an ultrasound, the doctors were happy to report the small pitbull had not suffered any lasting severe injuries," Paramus Police Detective Lt. Glenn A. Pagano said.
Surveillance video from the Westfield Garden State Plaza showed a man was dog sitting for a friend kicking and otherwise abusing Stormy earlier this month.
Joseph Caraccia, 39, also of Rockland, was caught and charged thanks to another kind human -- a Good Samaritan who immediately called police to the mall parking lot, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.
The caller "observed the abuser punching, kicking, and throwing the dog into a vehicle," the chief said.
Paramus police detectives reviewed several hours of CCTV video surveillance with security officers at the mall, Guidetti said.
They backtracked their target walking through the mall and "discovered horrific footage of Caraccia abusing what appeared to be a Pitbull puppy in his possession," the chief said.
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SEE: Man Caught On Camera Abusing Friend's Dog At Mall In Paramus
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Caraccia, of West Haverstraw, NY, surrendered this past Wednesday, Oct. 11, and was charged with cruelty to animals. Police also found a 13-year-old outstanding warrant out of Seaside Heights.
Caraccia has remained in the Bergen County Jail the past five days, longer than many who are sent there pending trial.
As Guidetti noted: “These are serious charges with serious consequences."
October also just so happens to be National Pitbull Awareness Month. If you or someone you know suspects animal abuse of any kind, please don’t hesitate to contact your local police department.
You need no better proof of the difference it can make than what a kind citizen at the mall did by immediately dialing 911 -- or by the care and treatment gladly offered at VEG, just up the road from the mall on Route 17.
The good news, Pagano said, is that the "mental scars from that brutal attack seemed to already be a distant memory.
"Stormy playfully enjoyed meeting all the detectives and (VEG) hospital staff," the lieutenant said, adding that they were all "coddling her during the process."
Could you blame them?
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