Sparky the dog nearly dies, will lose leg after package thief leaves gate open in Fontana

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A package thief who stole Christmas gifts in Fontana almost was responsible for the death of Sparky — a bouncy and adorable dog who was hit by a car and lost for two days after the thief failed to close the gate behind him.Now, because of the severity of his injuries, Sparky must have a leg amputated.Luckily, the 2½-year-old Australian blue heeler, or cattle dog, the same breed as Bluey in the eponymous hit TV show, has not lost his signature sparkle.“He’s in such good spirits now that he’s home,” said his owner, David Lopez.“He’s limping around with the cast on his leg.”Sparky and Lopez’s second dog, a golden retriever named Blazer, both went missing Dec.

3 shortly after the porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera leaving the yard with the gate wide open.But although Blazer returned home that night, his best friend, Sparky, was nowhere to be found.“My golden retriever was so depressed at that time,” Lopez said.“He was just like sitting outside, not barking at anybody or playing fetch.”Lopez’s family searched for Sparky for nearly two days to no avail.

That was until a sixth sense drew Lopez back to a neighbor’s home that he already checked.He knocked again and although the neighbor said she hadn’t seen Sparky, she agreed to let Lopez look in her yard.As he walked around yelling Sparky’s name, Lopez heard a rustling behind him.“I took a deep breath and, when I looked back again, I saw him pop out of the bushes,” he said.

“It was just a jaw-dropping moment.”Although Lopez was overjoyed to find Sparky alive, he was horrified at his pup’s condition.Sparky had a deep, severe cut from his hip down to his paw and barely could limp over to Lopez.

“As soon as I saw that, I put my hands on my head in shock,” he said.“I picked him up off the floor, cradled him in my arms, and we drove him to the animal hospital.”Veterinari...