Pit-bull neglect Long Beach, CA (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Jun 30, 2004 County: Los Angeles Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted Abuser/Suspect: Dominic Kuresa

Case ID: 2940 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in CA (US) Login to Watch this Case

A black and white pit-bull named Bear was rescued from an abusive by Long Beach Animal Control earlier this year. More than 30 pounds underweight, and with an infection that caused blood and mucus to run from his nose, the black-and-white pit bull was discovered after a neighbor reported his owner for neglect, said Lt. Michelle Quigley of Animal Control.

Quigley's department received the complaint in June, and an animal control officer went to the dog's home in the 900 block of Orange Avenue the next day. He arrived to find Bear emaciated -his ribs, hips and back bone were jutting from his hide -and ill, Quigley said.

Even more heart-breaking was Bear's wonderful disposition, despite such inhumane treatment.

"This is the sweetest, most social, happy dog. He wags his whole body when he sees you," Quigley said. "I lot of pit bulls get a bad rap, but this is a good boy who loves to be with people."

Dominic Kuresa, the dog's 43-year-old owner, told the officer that Bear had been sick for several months, but because he was an older dog -at the time Bear was about 9 1/2 -he decided he wasn't worth feeding or caring for.

"He admitted that for the last 6 months, the dog had been sick and he had done nothing about it," she said. "He said that because the dog was old, he didn't want to waste his money, so he had just left him to die."

A second dog on the property was fed, and there was a bag of dog kibble, Quigley said. It appeared as though Bear was given a few morsels on the ground from time to time, but not regularly fed or given water.

Realizing he had a case of animal cruelty, the officer called for assistance and a second animal control officer came out to document the abuse. Bear was taken into custody, as was the other dog, as a precaution. A veterinarian found that Bear was starved close to death, had an upper-respiratory infection and a cracked tooth that had rotted to the point of infection .

Nine teeth had to be extracted, but Bear was eventually nursed back to health.

Kuresa was ordered to appear in court on July 6, and when he failed to show up a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, the lieutenant said.

After he was arrested in October, his new arraignment was set for Oct. 21, when he pleaded no contest to animal cruelty and received three years summary probation that bars him from owning or having contact with animals. The court also ordered Kuresa to pay Animal Control full restitution of nearly $4,000 for the care Bear required, Quigley said.

Kuresa signed over custody of the second, healthier dog, which has already been adopted. Now it's Bear's turn to find a happy and healthy home, Quigley said Friday.

Now 10, Bears suffers from arthritis and will probably require medication. And despite the antibiotic treatment for his infection, he still has a drippy nose. Quigley said they are going to take an X-ray of his sinus cavity to make sure they haven't missed anything, and that Bear is scheduled to be neutered today.

She suspected his lingering bout with the sniffles was simply due to the fact that Bear had been so sick for so long.

"We're going to do, obviously, a very strict screening for his adoption," she explained. "This is not a pit bull for anyone looking to have a status symbol. This dog is a sweetheart, and he's been through hell and back. He deserves to have a happy home to enjoy the rest of his life."

Anyone interested in adopting Bear can call Quigley at (562) 570-3066

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