Feb. 09--Daisy, a small brown Chihuahua, is recovering days after her owner was arrested on suspicion of kicking and violently swinging the canine in the lobby of the South Pasadena Police Department headquarters.
The incident occurred in front of police personnel who watched the attack on a live video feed Saturday morning.
Daisy's owner, Christian Andrew Najera, was seen and heard yelling at the dog as he exited the lobby, according to South Pasadena police.
The 2- to 3-year-old Chihuahua was on a leash when officials say Najera kicked the dog several times, then violently swung her by the leash in the air in a circular motion.
A records clerk with the police department saw the attack and called police. She followed Najera as he left the lobby until he was arrested.
Najera, 48, of Los Angeles was taken into custody of suspicion of animal cruelty, police said.
The Chihuahua is now under the care of the Pasadena Humane Society, where she is in protective custody, the organization's spokeswoman, Ricky Whitman, said Tuesday. Daisy was not seriously injured and is recovering.
"She's quickly becoming a staff favorite," Whitman said.
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