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Two people described as suspects are in custody after the fatal shooting of a dog who was dumped in a gutter in an industrial area of La Mirada, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

The animal cruelty incident took place about 12:45 p.m. Sunday near 16450 Phoebe Ave., according a sheriff’s special bulletin.

An investigation began after a witness reported seeing a man exit the passenger side of a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and place something on the road near a storm drain before hearing two gunshots, the bulletin stated.

After, the man got back inside the vehicle and the female driver sped away.

The witness then went over to the area where the SUV had been stopped and found a dead dog with gunshot wounds on a dog bed in the gutter.

Authorities described the dog as a 15-year-old terrier mix.

“It’s very disturbing,” Detective Mark Christiansen said. “I mean, we see a lot of stuff, but this one, this one hit home, especially being a dog person that I am. There’s ways to properly handle old, sick injured dogs, and this isn’t the way to do it.”

Investigators on Wednesday released surveillance video that captured the incident from a distance — including the sound of apparent gunshots — as they sought to track down the assailants.

PETA, the nonprofit that advocates for treating animals humanely, also announced Wednesday that it would offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

“This dog was essentially executed and left to die by a gutter,” Lisa Lange, senior vice president of PETA, said in a statement. “Whoever did this is dangerous and must be held accountable.”

On Thursday morning, Deputy Joana Warren confirmed to KTLA that two people related to the deadly dog shooting were apprehended after witnesses reported seeing the SUV the previous night.

She did not immediately have additional information, including their names and whether they have been arrested.

KTLA’s Nancy Fontan contributed to this story.

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