Madera police get new puppy for family whose dog was bludgeoned to death

A day after a man was arrested for killing their dog with a hammer, a Madera family has a new puppy thanks to the city’s police department.

“While yesterday was a heartbreaking day for the family that lost their cherished dog, today was a little bit brighter,” the department wrote Tuesday in a post on Facebook, where it shared pictures of the dog.

Police were called Monday night after the family returned and found a large pool of blood in the driveway. A blood trail led officers into a garbage can and they found the German shepherd/Labrador retriever mix named Linda in it.

Ambrocio Hernandez was arrested a short time later on animal cruelty charges. When police found the 27-year-old, he was covered in blood and in possession of a hammer.

He was also in possession of methamphetamine, and was also charged with drug possession.

Hernandez is relative of the family and at the home when they returned home Monday night, but had been barred from the property because of drug use and aggressive behavior and was asked to leave, police said.

He admitted to killing the dog because it “wanted to play with him too much and was bugging him,” police said.

The department partnered with the Madera Animal Shelter to get the family its new dog.

“While the new puppy can never replace the dog which they lost, we hope this new addition brings them happiness for years to come,” the department wrote on Facebook.