UPDATED: Dog Abandoned in Larkin Valley

UPDATED Thursday, 3 p.m.— A passerby reported a Latino man in his 40s driving a minivan with the partial plate "3MKZ" was pulled off the road near where the dog was later found. Also, inside the dog house was a green sweatshirt with the words, "Monte Vista Guitar Class." 

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Animal Services officers are looking for the person who dumped a mistreated Chihuahua on the side of a rural road in Larkin Vallley.

A passerby noticed the small dog whimpering inside a dog house on White Road near Calabasas Road, not far from Scott County Park, around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to Todd Stosuy, field supervisor for .

The brown-and-black dog was curled up on a wet pillow and damp blankets. Her nails were so overgrown, they had grown back into her feet. Her paws were bloody and covered in puss, according to Stosuy.

"This is a sad case where the owner of the dog treated her as a disposable object," Stosuy said. "This was preventable neglect, which only required the owner to trim the dog's nails.

The dog had a collar but no tags. Stosuy took her to a vet.

"She's really sweet and really friendly," Stosuy said.

Stosuy asked anyone with information about the dog's owner to call him at 831-454-7303 ext 1. He said he'd like to charge the owner with animal neglect and animal neglect, both misdemeanors, and he may contact PETA to establish a cash reward.

Anyone with animals they no longer want can take them to either of the Santa Cruz County animal shelters and surrender them, no questions asked. The shelters are at 2200 Seventh Ave. in Santa Cruz and 580 Airport Blvd. in Watsonville.