Actor Jena Malone: 'The Dog Was Going to Die'

Actor Jena Malone jumped into action to save a dog on Tuesday—and not as part of any film scene. Malone—who has appeared in major releases including The Hunger Games, Sucker Punch, and Pride & Prejudice—opened up on Twitter about how she chased down a man she'd seen kicking and otherwise abusing a small dog while out driving in Los Angeles. He was "yanking him up in the air and absolutely choking the dog," Malone wrote, per Variety. She said the man refused to stop, then took off running. "So I started chasing him." She added others joined the chase, which lasted for six blocks, until a brawl erupted. She said she didn't see the interaction but heard that a group of men started beating the alleged abuser, who "did not give up the dog without a fight."

KNBC captured footage of the brawl. The man at the center of it, later arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, told the outlet that "it's my mother's dog and he should obey me." Charges were not filed against the other men, per KNBC. Malone said the dog "was covered in filth and looked like it had been not taken care of for months." It was later found to have "a fractured rib, bone breaks in its hind legs and another fracture in its right paw," Malone wrote. "I'm sorry that it ended in a brawl but the dog was going to die. No question," she added. "I can't imagine the level of torture it had suffered until this point." A GoFundMe campaign that has raised nearly $10,000 to cover the owner's vet bills claims the dog named Champion was "missing for 5 days" prior to Tuesday. (More animal abuse stories.)