Dolphin shot to death on California beach

An animal welfare organization is offering a cash reward for more information about the shooting death of a dolphin in Manhattan Beach, California, earlier this month.

Marine Animal Rescue announced on their Facebook page Friday that they would be offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the mammal’s death after an necropsy confirmed the animal died from a gunshot wound.

Peter Wallerstein, the founder of the rescue group, told NBC News he received a call to rescue the stranded dolphin after it was spotted on the surf earlier this month. By the time he arrived at the scene, he and a lifeguard discovered the floating dolphin died.

“It’s just a vicious act of brutality,” Wallerstein told the news service.

Wallerstein said an animal doctor in Los Angles was able to retrieve the bullet that killed the animal and he has since contacted the National Marine Fisheries Service to open investigation into its death.

{mosads}”They’ll do the best they can,” Wallerstein said. “They have the bullet and they have evidence of the shooting. We very rarely find these people but what the reward does is put them on notice.”

Wallerstein told the publication he has never seen an incident like this one in his more than 30 years of working in animal rescue.

“I’ve had sea lions shot but never had a dolphin,” he said. “But maybe the dolphins have drifted back into ocean, we don’t know.”