Santa Cruz Sheriffs Office investigating puppy abuse case

WATSONVILLE — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in investigating how a 4-month-old puppy was left stuffed in a trash bag on the side of the road late last month. A driver passing beneath the Buena Vista/Highway 1 overpass on March 26 located the “severely injured and underweight golden retriever-mix puppy.” The dog, according to a post on a Sheriff’s Office’s social media page, showed signs of having been abused. A California Highway Patrol sergeant transported the puppy, now nicknamed Cheddar, to the Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital. He is recovering from “significant injuries and other…