A package thief who stole Christmas presents in Fontana was almost responsible for the death of Sparky, an adorable, bouncy dog who was hit by a car and lost for two days after the thief didn't close the door behind him.
Now, due to the severity of his injuries, Sparky must have one of his legs amputated.
Fortunately, the two-and-a-half-year-old blue heeler or Australian cattle dog, the same breed as Bluey on the hit television show of the same name, has not lost its characteristic shine.
“He is in a very good mood now that he is home,” said his owner, David López. “He's limping with the cast on his leg.”
Sparky and Lopez's second dog, a golden retriever named Blazer, went missing on Dec. 3 shortly after the porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera leaving the yard with the door wide open.
But even though Blazer returned home that night, his best friend, Sparky, was nowhere to be found.
“My golden retriever was very depressed at the time,” Lopez said. “It was like sitting outside, not barking at anyone or playing fetch.”
Lopez's family searched for Sparky for almost two days without success. That was until a sixth sense led Lopez back to a neighbor's house he had already checked. He knocked again and although the neighbor said she had not seen Sparky, she agreed to let Lopez look in her yard.
As he walked calling out Sparky's name, Lopez heard a rustling sound behind him.
“I took a deep breath, and when I looked back again, I saw him come out of the bushes,” she said. “It was just an amazing moment.”
Although Lopez was delighted to find Sparky alive, he was horrified by his pup's condition. Sparky had a deep, severe cut from hip to paw and could barely limp to Lopez.
“As soon as I saw that, I put my hands on my head in shock,” he said. “I picked him up off the ground, cradled him in my arms, and we took him to the animal hospital.”
Veterinarians believe Sparky was hit by a car and dragged across the paved road, tearing his ligaments and leaving him with a bone-deep wound, and his family with significant medical bills.
Although he received many stitches that night, the veterinarians ultimately decided that his leg would need to be amputated. Lopez's girlfriend, Krystal Altamirano, started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of the surgery, which is scheduled for Friday.
“Losing our Christmas presents was already painful… but nothing compares to seeing our dog suffer like this and not having the funds to save him,” she wrote in the fundraiser. “The moment, the vacation, everything happening at the same time, it's overwhelming.”
Lopez filed a police report for the package thief, but has not heard of any progress in the investigation and is asking the public to report any sightings of the vehicle involved in the crime: a white Mercedes-Benz SUV with silver rims, which can be seen in Ring camera footage.
He hopes the thief will be held accountable for the damage Sparky suffered.
“The packs are replaceable, but my dog will now be missing part of it,” Lopez said. “I really didn't want that to happen, but now it's the only way to keep my dog alive.”
