Video shows man violently abusing a dog; Long Beach police are investigating
The incident occurred Monday morning in an alley just off Long Beach Boulevard and 12th Street.
Adalhi Montes awoke early Monday morning to strange sounds getting closer and closer to his apartment near Long Beach’s Washington neighborhood. Initially, he wrote it off as coming from an unhoused person, since the alley is a common location for drug use.
“But the sound kept getting louder and then all of a sudden it just stopped … and [I] heard a little bump,” Montes told the Watchdog Monday night, adding that the sound of “crying” followed.
With his curiosity piqued, Montes reviewed video from his surveillance camera that overlooks the alley way due to frequent break-ins. What he saw took him by complete surprise, he said.
In the video, recorded around 5:30 a.m. on Waite Court just west of Long Beach Boulevard at 12th Street, a dog can be seen dangling by the leash, slung over a man’s back. The man abruptly swings the dog up over his shoulder, slamming it into the ground. He then yanks the dog toward him, kicks it in the head and then lifts it back up by the leash before walking out of view.
“I didn’t believe it. Who does that?” Montes said, adding that he replayed the video over and over, unable to process the cruelty he was seeing.
Unsure of what to do, Montes said he took to social media, posting the video on Instagram and Nextdoor. It was picked up quickly by animal rights advocates such as the Kris Kelly Foundation and went viral.
Montes happened upon a car accident as he walked to a nearby laundromat, so he approached officers at the scene regarding the video.
“He was like, “Oh, we heard about that video. We’ve been getting calls all morning,’” Montes said, adding that he then showed the officers the video on his phone. The officers then took his statement, Montes said.
At 4:30 p.m., the Long Beach Police Department posted a statement on social media announcing that it is aware of the viral video and that an investigation is underway.
“Animal abuse is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community,” the post reads.
Long Beach Animal Care Services is investigating the incident in tandem with the LBPD, Bureau Manager Melanie Wagner confirmed with the Watchdog Monday night, calling the abuse "heart-wrenching."
"It is our sincere hope that the dog involved can be swiftly located and brought to our emergency veterinary hospital for diagnostics and treatment," Wagner said.
Anyone with information on the incident should call the non-emergency dispatch at 562-435-6711.
We are aware of a viral video depicting an incident of animal abuse in the 200 block of E. 12th Street. LBPD patrol officers have responded to the area and taken an animal cruelty report, as the incident had not been previously reported to the Department. Long Beach Animal Care… pic.twitter.com/ES9BaYGGVe
— Long Beach PD (CA) (@LBPD) April 21, 2025
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