NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A shih tzu was thrown down a trash chute at a NYCHA complex in lower Manhattan last week, an act that caused such serious injuries to the small dog that it had to be euthanized after its rescue, police and the ASPCA said.
The abused dog was found just before 10:30 a.m. Friday morning at 180 South St., part of the Gov. Alfred E. Smith Houses in Two Bridges, police said.
A building caretaker was cleaning out the trash compactor when he heard the dog yelping. He rescued the animal, who had four broken legs, and handed it over to the ASPCA for treatment.
Once the dog was evaluated, the anti-animal cruelty nonprofit said it became clear its injuries were too severe for recovery to be possible.
“Sadly, due to severe medical injuries resulting in extreme suffering, this dog, an alleged victim of cruelty, was humanely euthanized to end existing and ongoing pain,” the ASPCA said in a statement to 1010 WINS.
It was not immediately clear how long the shih tzu was stuck in the trash compactor before it was found.
President of the Alfred E. Smith Resident Association Aixa Torres told the New York Post that no one in the building recognized the dog or knew to whom it belonged.
This incident is being treated as an active criminal investigation, police said.