EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A puppy who was taken from a man with a history of animal abuse charges has been adopted by a new family after recovering from her injuries.
The dog, Maple, previously suffered burns on her paws and a fractured rib after her previous owner allegedly beat and choked her.
Carlos Fernandez, Maple’s previous owner, has since been arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
On Tuesday, El Paso Animal Services confirmed Maple was adopted by a new family following her recovery.
“She has recovered beautifully, and she’s doing great. She’s now in her forever home with her new parent. And her new sibling, which is a senior dog, but she’s doing really well now. She’s thriving,” Gina Ramirez, Animal Services Field Protection Manager, told KFOX14/CBS4 on Tuesday.
Ramirez added, “She is a little wary about walking with the leash, but it’s understandable given the experience and the traumatizing events that she had. But with a lot of love and patience that mama’s giving her, she’s really, really good.”
Ramirez reminds the public to be on the lookout, and if you suspect a neighbor or family member of mistreating their pets or animals, call 311 or 911 so an officer can investigate.
“Unfortunately, we see a lot of these cases every day where we come across cruelty victims that are being removed from circumstances that one wouldn’t even think of. And during the transition and the process of saving them and getting them into a rescue, they are starting to learn to trust again and love these humans and know that not everyone is bad, but it’s our responsibility as individuals, as human beings, to ensure that and be mindful if we don’t know how to care for a pet, don’t get the pet. It’s simple as that, ” Ramirez said.
Maple was previously rescued after police said Fernandez voluntarily gave up ownership, and the puppy was surrendered to El Paso Animal Services after an incident in July, leading to Fernandez’s arrest last week.
According to an arrest affidavit previously obtained by KFOX14/CBS4, the incident happened on July 8 near the bus stop at the 600 block of Mesita, near Kern Place in West El Paso.
According to the investigation, witnesses saw Fernandez drag and kick the puppy across the hot pavement before choking him by pulling on his collar for five to six seconds, then putting the little dog inside a shopping bag.
EPPD said Fernandez was also given a citation for an animal-related offense involving the unlawful possession of a canine; this is because Fernandez is not allowed to have animals, as he has been previously convicted of animal cruelty.
Court records show that he had been previously convicted once in 2015, when he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison, and a second time in 2024, when he was sentenced to five years, but that sentence was ultimately suspended, and he was given five years of community service.
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