The poor dog thrown out of a moving car during a police pursuit in Los Angeles is not being returned to its owner for the time being ... instead, it'll be staying with a local humane society.
Daniel Pena -- the animal control supervisor at the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA -- tells TMZ ... the pooch will remain in their care, for now, while an investigation into Thursday's incident plays out.
As we reported ... the dog was tossed out of the window of some scumbag's truck Thursday as the driver was leading police on a high-speed chase.
Cops tell us the suspect is a 47-year-old man named Robin Luna and the chase started with a reported vandalism.
#DEVELOPING This is the dog today from that pursuit which ended in Pomona... dog is being cared for by amazing vets... and we're told is doing OK @KTLA https://t.co/satfz6fvL0 pic.twitter.com/GQYfUqeF26
— Pete Wilgoren (@WILGOREN) January 12, 2024
The guy was initially charged with felony evading but now we're told prosecutors are going to tack on animal cruelty charges.
As a result, the SPCA says the dog will remain in protective custody with them until further notice.
Fortunately, the dog survived and appears to have avoided life-threatening injuries ... although it's a good bet the pup is shaken up.