Donations Pour In For Kicked Dog In Critical Condition

VENICE, CA — Donations continued to pour in Sunday for a small, 15- year-old dog who was hospitalized in critical condition after a homeless man allegedly kicked him so hard that he flew into the metal claw of a tractor on a Venice street.

The attack occurred at about 3 p.m. Wednesday at an undisclosed Venice location, according to Laura Valdivia, who set up a GoFundMe account to help her neighbor, the Yorkshire terrier's owner, Laura Michele Rosenfeld, with growing veterinary bills.

A former firefighter on vacation with her son helped revive the dog, named Bart, but the animal suffered what appeared to be seizures after he resumed breathing, Valdivia said.

"On the way (to the vet), Bart regained consciousness but kept moaning and seizing. It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever heard," she posted. "The emergency room got him stable, but said he suffered a traumatic brain injury. The bill for just that night was almost $3,000 (photo attached) and today's follow-up bill was for another $1500. Until Bart can leave the critical care unit, the bills will keep adding up."

As of early Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe appeal had raised $14,130, topping its $10,000 goal.

Valdivia posted an update in which she said Bart was doing "a tiny bit better" thanks to all of the good wishes and his "mother," who spends every moment of visiting hours by his side. "The swelling in his head is going down, but he still cannot stand on his own," Valdivia wrote.

She also passed along the following message from Bart's owner:

"From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone for helping me save my doggie. He has a very long road of recovery ahead but I will be with him every step of the way and I'm touched by the amount of support."

Meanwhile, the man accused of kicking Bart was also accused of hitting a victim over the head with a glass bottle Wednesday, Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department told City News Service.

"Multiple witnesses chased the suspect down and held him until police arrived and took him into custody," Madison said.

Michael Langman, 39, was booked for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, and officers located footage of the dog being kicked and entered it into evidence, police said.

Langman was being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Inmate Reception Center, according to sheriff's inmate records.

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