Reward money continues to pour in as animal rescuers increase their efforts to locate and arrest the person or people responsible for leaving a dog in a remote area of Malibu with its snout zip-tied shut.

The dog was found by a pair of rock climbers about 250 feet down the side of the road in Malibu Creek Canyon earlier this month.

The adult German shepherd, given the name Argon by his medical care providers, was discovered over the scorching Fourth of July weekend with a zip tie around its neck and another around its mouth.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call and deputies met the climbers near the 500 block of North Malibu Canyon Road to help bring the dog to safety.

He was rescued and taken to a local animal shelter for treatment of myriad illnesses, including inflammation, warts and skin tags on his legs, stomach and groin. Officials suspected that he may have been exposed to poison oak during his time lost in the wild.

In addition to those more obvious surface level illnesses, it was also suspected that Argon was suffering from lymphoma — cancer of the lymphatic system.

Last week, the dog was taken in by German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County. On Wednesday, In Defense of Animals said the rescue organization had confirmed that diagnosis.

They also found double ear infections, swelling in his lower extremities and “trauma to his hind legs.”

“His ears are now healing, but his feet are still swollen two weeks after his ordeal,” a spokesperson for In Defense of Animals wrote.

Maria Dales, the founder and director of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, said Argon remains a “gentle soul” despite the abandonment and abuse he’s suffered.

“He seems to sense that we are all here to help him and his trust level is growing,” Dales said. “He doesn’t appear to be as introverted as he was when he arrived.”

The next steps in Argon’s care will be for him to see a veterinary oncologist to determine the severity of his cancer diagnosis and come up with a plan for treatment, Dales added.

In Defense of Animals was the first organization to announce a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who abandoned the dog in the sweltering heat with its mouth closed shut.

That reward tripled within days and has since increased to $25,000 thanks to multiple organizations and individuals chipping in cash in hopes of finding those responsible.

Fleur Dawes, communications director for In Defense of Animals, said they’ve been “overwhelmed” by the public support and said they hope the reward is enough motivation for someone to come forward.

“Someone knows this dog and the person who hurt him,” Dawes said in a news release. “We hope this huge reward offer encourages that person to step forward and share their tip with us so we can get justice for Argon.”

Argon’s case remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LASD Malibu/Lost Hills station at 818-878-1808.

In Defense of Animals is also soliciting donations and collecting tips related to Argon’s case, which can be provided anonymously or directly by calling 415-879-6879.

“We are hoping that someone in the public will have the courage and compassion to get this cruel abuser off the streets,” Dales concluded.

California Lottery officials have announced a special promotion for Daily Derby players after a software error affected lottery ticket machines. 

Daily Derby is one of eight draw games offered by the California Lottery where players select two sets of three numbers: the first numbers representing three horses to finish first, second and third, and the second set represents the winning race time. 

According to a press release, lottery players’ odds of winning were not impacted by the error, but the prize amounts for winning tickets may have been affected “for a subset of players.” 

“The software error affected two specific kinds of California Lottery ticket machines and only under certain circumstances, depending on how a person chose to play and purchase tickets,” lottery officials stated.  “The error only impacted those who used the QuickPick option…[which is for] players who don’t want to choose their own numbers and instead prefer the gaming system selects for them.” 

Those who used the QuickPick option received tickets with numbers only in ascending order, and the software issue also affected the race time number selections in some cases, with numbers only being printed on tickets in ascending order and with no repeating digits. 

Officials released a statement summarizing the software error: 

“Although the odds of winning were not affected, prize payments on winning Daily Derby tickets may have been impacted by the software error.  In California, prize amounts are split among the number of players who won in the same way.  Because the error resulted in a subset of players having access to limited combinations of numbers, more winners were likely produced when these limited combinations turned out to be selected than in cases where the winning numbers matched those from the larger pool of all possible combinations.” 

The error was traced back to a programming mistake by International Game Technology, the state lottery’s gaming partner. 

Upon discovery of the error, the California Lottery worked quickly to correct it within 24 hours, officials said. 

It was also announced by lottery officials that beginning Tuesday, the overall prize pool for Daily Derby will be boosted by $100,000 each day for 12 days, meaning that winners at any prize level will have the opportunity to win bigger prizes than they normally would. 

The added money will remain in the pot until someone wins the top prize, even after the original 12-day promotion, lottery officials added.  The funds will come from International Game Technology and not funds directed towards California public education. 

Preliminary estimates by state lottery business analysts indicate that approximately 20% of Daily Derby wagers were affected by the error, which translates into about four million each year; for context, California Lottery officials say that more popular games like the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots generate hundreds of millions of wagers each year. 

More information about Daily Derby can be found here. 

A convicted felon was arrested for allegedly trafficking a 14-year-old girl who was discovered in Anaheim.

The suspect was identified as Marcus Boyd, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

On July 9, authorities received information about a 14-year-old girl who was being trafficked for sex. The girl was located in Anaheim and detectives began investigating the alleged trafficking.

Boyd was identified as the suspect and was spotted driving later that day. Officers attempted to pull him over but he refused to yield, leading police on a pursuit.

At one point, Boyd ditched his vehicle and began fleeing on foot. He was eventually located and taken into custody.

On July 11, he was charged with:

• Human trafficking of a minor
• Pandering a minor under 16 years old
• Possession of a silencer
• Evading a police officer
• Resisting and obstructing a police officer

Boyd’s previous convictions were not released. The case was investigated by the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF).

“A critical component of the OCHTTF is the OCDA’s Human Exploitation And Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, which targets perpetrators who sexually exploit and traffic women and underage girls for financial gain, including pimps, panderers, and human traffickers,” officials explained.

The lead agencies involved in the task force include the California Highway Patrol, Irvine Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County Probation Department, Orange County Social Services Agency, The Salvation Army, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Boyd remains in custody and is being held on $1 million bail.

If you or anyone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-373-7888 or call your local law enforcement agency.