Reward offered for information on dog that was tied up and abandoned in Malibu Canyon

A reward was more than doubled Tuesday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who abandoned a German shepherd in a remote area of Malibu Creek Canyon with zip ties around its mouth and neck.

The animal rights group In Defense of Animals announced a $2,500 reward Monday for information leading to an arrest in the dog abandonment case. The group Peace 4 Animals and members of the public have donated an additional $5,100 in reward money for information leading to a conviction, according to the IDA.

The German shepherd was found by hikers around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. They were able to remove the tethers and called law enforcement and county animal control officials.

Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control officials said in a statement that the dog — a 7-year-old male who has since been named Argon — was found about 250 feet off the side of the road near the 500 block of North Malibu Canyon Road.

“The dog had significant inflammation and warts and skin tags on his stomach and groin,” the agency said. “The (animal control) officer suspected the dog had been exposed to poison ivy.”

Argon was taken to Palmdale Animal Care Center for medical treatment and then taken to the county’s Agoura Animal Center.

“Based on our veterinarian’s test results, we unfortunately believe he has lymphoma,” according to the county’s animal care department. “We are scheduling follow-up tests with an oncologist as soon as possible for a complete exam to determine what we are dealing with and what his prognosis is. If the disease is treatable, we have the resources through our nonprofit partners to treat him and can place him in foster care.”

One of the people who found the animal told KTLA5 in an email that he and a friend were climbing a rock when they discovered the dog and managed to gain its trust enough to remove the zip ties.

“He’s a lovely dog,” the climber told the station. “He let me and my friend pet him and he ate our food out of our hands.”

He said the person who abandoned the dog “left him alone, down a hill in the middle of nowhere, on the side of the road. They left him to suffer. They left him for dead.”

Fleur Dawes, communications director for In Defense of Animals, said in a statement that the group was grateful for the hikers’ actions in saving the dog, but added: “Our efforts must continue.”

“This dog was left to suffer and die in a remote location,” Dawes said in a statement. “We urge anyone with information about this cruel act to come forward. We are determined to find the person responsible for this horrific abuse and hold them accountable as they pose a danger to others.”