A man was allegedly seen abusing a dog by actress Jena Malone, and the Sucker Punch star wasn't going to stand for it. In a story originally reported by NBC Los Angeles, it was revealed that Malone was involved in an incident with a man and his dog on April 5. According to Malone, the suspect was "kicking repeatedly a small dog" and "yanking him up in the air and absolutely choking" the helpless animal. Catching the alleged attack from her car, the actress says she shouted for the man to stop, and when he refused, Malone sprung into action.
"I pulled over and started chasing him. Because it's absolutely not OK," Malone explained. She further detailed the situation, which resulted in a group of men attacking the alleged dog abuser, with a statement posted to Twitter.
"This was really scary," the actress said. "I saw a man kicking repeatedly a small dog on the sunset, yanking him up in the air and absolutely choking the dog. I yelled at him to stop from my car but he wouldn’t. I got out of my car to try and get the dog but he started running. So I started chasing him. I saw other people watching on the street upset, as they must have seen the same abhorrent behavior I witnessed , so I tried to signal a man in an orange vest to run with me to chase him."
She added, "Cause at that point I really didn’t think I was going to be able to get the dog back by myself. After another block of chasing him down I looked back and there were 5 other men behind me pursuing him. Which felt like a miracle."
The men that joined in the pursuit can be seen attacking the alleged dog abuser in a video published by NBC Los Angeles, though the LAPD did not charge any of the assailants with a crime. The man who allegedly harmed the dog was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.
A Crowdfunding Campaign Has Been Launched for the Dog
Malone says that the man "did not give up the dog without a fight," and that she stuck around to ensure that the animal would be taken care of. She also notes that the "cops came and took the guy," explaining how he was arrested. Malone also says that she did not want to see this situation result in a brawl, but that she was concerned for the dog's safety, and its injuries suffered during the situation lend credence to her version of events.
"It was absolutely horrific seeing an animal treated this way," Malone says. "I’m sorry that it ended in a brawl but the dog was going to die. No question. I can’t imagine the level of torture it had suffered until this point. And now it’s safe in a hospital. Still no word on its owner."
A GoFundMe page has since been launched to assist the dog, named Champ, with its medical bills. The initiative has already raised more than $13,000, surpassing its original goal of $10,000. According to the fundraiser, Champ had gone missing for five days before he was rescued. It's unclear at this time how the alleged dog abuser came into possession of Champ.
Jena Malone can next be seen in Rebel Moon, a Netflix movie in development that reunites the actress with Zack Snyder after previously working with the director on Sucker Punch and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Her other known roles include Donnie Darko, Pride and Prejudice, The Neon Demon, and The Hunger Games series.