Dog that fell out of a vehicle could not be saved, cops say

BY ANDREAS YILMA

REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

NAUGATUCK — A dog has been euthanized after she allegedly jumped out of a moving car on Route 8 and suffered a major injury.

Naugatuck Animal Control responded to Route 8 North in the area of Exit 26 on July 2 at about 1:35 p.m. to a report that a dog had jumped out of a moving vehicle. The vehicle was described as a burgundy older-model sedan. The operator of the vehicle did not stop, according to Naugatuck police.

Borough animal control officers took the roughly 4-year-old dog, a pit bull mix, to an emergency veterinarian hospital where she was in stable condition with a head injury, said Steven Rupis, a Naugatuck police officer and animal control officer who oversees daily operations.

The following morning at about 4:30 Rupsis received a call from the veterinarian with a recommendation to euthanize the dog.

The dog’s condition severely worsened due to the head trauma and was euthanized early on July 3, a news release stated.

“She was vomiting and having seizures,” Rupsis said. “It’s the last thing they ever want to do,” he added.

“It’s the most difficult decision we have working in this job,” Rupsis said. “Obviously that’s our last resort.”

State Police Troop I also confirmed that the incident caused a pair of 2-vehicle collisions on the highway, according to the release.

Rupsis said he believed the vehicles more than likely collided to avoid hitting the dog on the highway.

Police continue to ask the public for any information regarding the owner of the dog. Contact them at NaugatuckAnimalControl@gmail.com, or call the police department at 203-729-5222.

TIP LINE

Anyone with information about the driver of a car whose dog fell out the window and had to be put down should contact authorities at NaugatuckAnimalControl@gmail.com or at the police department, 203-729-5222. The incident occurred July 2 around 1:35 p.m. on Route 8 North near Exit 26 in Naugatuck. The car was a late-model, maroon sedan.