Dave Bautista adopts ‘horribly abused’ puppy and offers cash reward to find culprit

Dave Bautista has decided to adopt an abused puppy after offering a reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the “sick piece of s***” who abused her.

Last week, the Marvel star posted an emotional story to Instagram about Sage, a three-month-old puppy who had been “horrifically abused”.

According to a post by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, the dog underwent surgery to remove a metal chain that had been embedded into her neck, writing: “We can’t imagine who would do this to her.”

Sage also suffered from “skin issues and overgrown nails”.

“Even though she is in immense pain, Sage was wagging her tail on the exam table,” read the post.

Bautista shared Sage’s story with his 3.6 million Instagram followers, offering $5,000 (£3,650) to anyone with information “leading to the arrest and conviction of the sick piece of s***” responsible for abusing Sage.

The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke pledged an additional $1,000 (£730) to the cause.

In a new video posted over the weekend, Bautista said he was disappointed to report that there were no “solid leads” yet.

The Army of the Dead actor, however, also revealed that he has since decided to adopt Sage, who he has renamed Penny, into his family.

“The puppy you know as Sage today became Penny Bautista,” said the 52-year-old. “I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of my family… she is now a Bautista, and she will never be abused again in her life.”

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay shared their excitement to the news, writing in a post: “We are so excited for Sage! She went from eating trash in a cemetery with a chain embedded around her neck to starting and AMAZING new life with Dave and 2 new Pitty siblings.”

Penny joins Bautista’s two other adopted pit bulls, Ollie and Maggie.

Bautista will next star opposite Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the Dune remake, which is slated for release on 21 October.

The actor is also set to join the cast ofKnives Out 2. You can find everything we know about the highly anticipated sequel, including new cast additions, here.