Injured dog placed in crate and left on curb to be thrown away

An Orange County man set his 1-year-old Lab out as trash earlier this week.
Dillinger%u2019s owner put the canine in his crate, covered him with a blanket and placed him by the curb to be picked up with the rest of his garbage, officials said.
"He had been hit by a car at least 30 days prior to that and never taken to a vet,%u201D said Jessica Chapman, a volunteer at Pet Rescue by Judy. %u201CSo, I don't know if they just couldn't afford him anymore."
Dillinger was in terrible shape when he got to Pet Rescue by Judy, a nonprofit animal rescue located in Orlando. The dog had suffered a broken leg, as well as ear and skin infections.
The dog underwent more than four hours of surgery to fix his broken leg, which cost close to $3,000.
"Do something,%u201D said Judy Sarullo of Pet Rescue by Judy, %u201Cand if you can't do it, then at least have him put to sleep humanely rather than let suffer and then putting him in crate and asking someone dispose of it in garbage truck."
In 2009, Orange County Animal Services investigated 3,400 cases of animal abuse, neglect and cruelty. Now, they have a website that works like a crime line where residents can anonymously report animal abuse.
%u201CThere's a lot of fear of retaliation and rightfully so,%u201D said Kathleen Kennedy of Orange County Animal Services. %u201CUsually abusers are abusers, whether victims are children or animals or domestic partners. All those things are linked so people don't want their name put out there."

Dillinger is in good spirits, according to the pet rescue, and is available for adoption. He is said to love other dogs and people despite the circumstances.
The Orange County Sheriff%u2019s Office is conducting a criminal investigation into the situation and Dillinger%u2019s owner.

This is a terrible thing to have happened to a dog. Try to picture this for just a moment. You are hurt. You feel pain, yet you do not understand. You look to humans for help and love, and they place you in a crate, cover you with a blanket, and leave you by the trash to be picked up and dumped, even though you still breathe and you still live. Immagine waiting for your humans to return for you. Waiting for help, comfort, waiting for the pain to stop. But they never come back.
What kind of person can do this to their animal? To any animal? How could any creature be so uncaring of another?
Animals are so helpless. They depend upon us for food, protection, and love. And we put them in the trash. We ignore their cries, we beat them to death, we abandon them, we torment them, we do nothing for them.
For those of you who are not like that, who care for animals and have a passion for their well-being, I ask that you help me in my desire to send a simple letter to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, asking that this person is punished and forced to realize that what they have done is wrong.
If we do not speak for the animals, who will? They need us more than ever in these dark days. Help them.