Dog thrown off cliff adopted by family who rescued her

(FOX 11) - A happy reunion between Reuben Roque and the pit mix he's named Hera after the Greek goddess.

The dog instantly recognized him and his family after they were apart for a week.

"Its been rough just not knowing which direction things were going to go and it was such a waiting game," Roque said of the last week.

But the wait is over because on Wednesday he finally got to adopt the dog.

The Roque family fostered Hera before she became part of an animal abuse investigation.

Security video that's since gone viral shows a man throwing the helpless dog off the hillside near Roque's home.

It turns out it wasn't the first time the man was caught on camera doing the same exact thing to the loyal dog.

"We were all just horrified and shocked and disgusted by that sort of behavior," Marcia Mayeda, Director of Los Angeles County Animal Control, said.

According to Mayeda, officers are still working this case, but as protocol they had to take Hera from the Roque home to spay and microchip her so she could legally be adopted back to the family.

"She was a wonderful patient," Mayeda said. "Very friendly to all the staff and she was a joy to have, but she belongs with her family."

A family that promises her a safe and loving home.

As for the man in the video, no arrests have been made.

Mayeda said, she's confident investigators will present a strong case to the district attorney's office in the next few weeks.

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