Dog left paralyzed after apparently being thrown off Hollywood roof

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- LAPD's Animal Cruelty Task Force is investigating what happened to Milo, a mixed-breed dog found Monday on the roof of a Hollywood apartment building.

Milo's owner says police believe the dog was thrown from the top level of a four-story apartment building next door, landing on the top of the adjacent two-story building.

The two-and-a-half year old shar-pei/beagle mix was being cared for by a petsitter through the company Rover at the time.

"I just can't believe there are people out there that have these malicious thoughts in their head about doing an act like this," said Solomon Lee, Milo's owner.

Milo suffered a broken back and severely injured rear legs.

The surgeon who operated on him says the prognosis is grim.

"The broken back with this type of severity (means he will be) most likely permanently paralyzed," said Dr. Laurent Guiot, of Access Animal Hospital in Culver City.

Although Rover is paying Milo's medical bills, owner Solomon Lee has started a GoFundMe page to cover additional costs that may not be covered, including rehab therapy and medication he may need for the rest of his life. The GoFundMe page can be seen here.

Lee says he hired a dog watcher through the Rover app, but when he came to pick Milo up Monday afternoon, the dogsitter said he ran off.

"We were looking for him for hours and we finally found him on the top of a two-story roof," Lee said.

There was no access to that rooftop, so LA city firefighters had to bring the injured dog down using a ladder truck.

A Rover representative says the company has started its own investigation and is paying for all of Milo's medical bills. The dogsitter is no longer with the company.

"...we are focused on joining Milo's family in hoping for a swift recovery and supporting them in any way possible," the Rover statement reads. "This type of incident is extremely rare on our platform, and we take it very seriously."

Meanwhile, even though Milo's rear legs are paralyzed, his front legs continue to function and he's expected to be outfitted with a canine wheelchair that should allow him to get around.