2 emaciated dogs found in Buena Vista lagoon dead; The humane society says the dog

Authorities on Tuesday offered a $1,000 reward for information about two emaciated dogs that died after they were found in the Buena Vista Lagoon in Oceanside last week.

The San Diego Humane Society’s law enforcement team believes the dogs — a shepherd and a female, both about a year old — were abandoned, officials said.

A city public works officer found the two dogs near Jefferson Street and Lagoon View Drive on the northeast side of Lagoon on Oct. 18. The dogs huddled under brush near a 4-by-4-foot “soft” shipping container, officials said. . The container looks like a box made of some kind of mesh material with several handles, according to a photo released by the Humane Society.

Humane Society staff rushed the animals to the agency’s Oceanside campus, where the dog died when an officer brought her inside. The other dog “was in such distress that the medical team had no choice but to perform immediate humane euthanasia,” the Humane Society said in a statement.

“These dogs have been malnourished for a very long time until they’ve reached this emaciated state,” said Bill Ganley, San Diego Humane Enforcement Team Leader.

Officials said officers found feces inside a shipping container, leading them to believe the dogs had been left inside.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest. Tipsters were asked to call (888) 580-8477 or visit the Crime Stoppers website at sdcrimestoppers.org.