Despite earlier reports that she was expected to survive, the dog thrown off a bridge in Lithuania has died, according to the Lithuanian website that has been credited with helping to track down the man who was videotaped doing the deed.

The man seen in the video, believed to be Svajunas Beniukas, 22, was filmed by friends as he joked about proving “dogs can fly,” then throwing the dog – named Pipiras, which means Pepper — off the side of the bridge.

Miraculously, the dog, whose whimpers can be heard on the video, survived, until this weekend.

I haven’t found an English version of the story yet, but ohmidog! readers inform me that this article on the website 15min.lt reports her death. A rough translation of the article into English can be found www.15min.lt%2Fnaujiena%2Faktualu%2Flietuva%2F56%2F72323%2F" target="_blank">here.

The dog, who reportedly belonged to a neighbor of the suspect, received treatment for multiple fractures and internal injuries. According to reports, Beniuk was upset with the dog for attacking his mother’s chickens.

The dog was dropped from a bridge in the Vilkija district in Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania.

After the video appeared on Lithuanian websites, and then around the world, dog lovers helped identify the man as Beniukas. Upon learning of the hunt online, he turned himself in to police.

The dog had allegedly killed some of his mother’s chickens at her home in the village of Seredzius.

Beniukas, who lives in Kaunas, has been charged with animal cruelty. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail.

While a  Delaware police department worried about the fate of one of its police dogs — shot in the line of duty last week — it suddenly lost another one.

Bandit, a 6-year-old German shepherd who had served four years in the K-9 unit of the New Castle County Police Department, was euthanized Monday after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, according to Delmarvanow.com.

The dog had worked Saturday, and became ill Sunday night. He was rushed to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital — the same hospital where another of the department’s dogs, Diablo, was being treated for two gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty four days earlier.

Diablo was shot twice last Wednesday in Wilmington while chasing down a suspect who police said had threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend. Diablo, who developed pneumonia at the hospital, remains in stable condition.

Bandit was surrounded by his handler Cpl. Paul Chickadel, family and friends when he died, police officials said.

In 2008,  Bandit sniffed out $32,445 in connection with drug investigations, responding to 389 canine calls and assisting in four arrests. In June, the team was certified in narcotics detection, tracking and patrol work by the National Police Canine Association.

The department said arrangements have not been finalized for a memorial service.

Archie, the 8-year-old black Lab recently named 2009 Dog of the Year by the ASPCA, died suddenly last week of an apparent heart attack, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Owned by Clay Rankin, an Army sergeant who was injured in Iraq, Archie had been his service dog for four years, helping Rankin cope with physical challenges, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulty with crowds.

“Archie’s loyalty and perseverance in helping Sgt. Rankin accomplish his daily tasks has allowed the veteran to regain his confidence and independence, move forward with his life and continue serving the country he loves,” the ASPCA noted in bestowing the award.

Rankin,  who serves as an advocate for other veterans, received the dog through Patriot Paws, a Texas organization that trains service dogs for veterans with disabilities .

(Photo: Rankin, Archie and Lori Stevens, founder of Patriot Paws)

Two brothers accused of burning to death the pit bull who became known as Phoenix will face felony charges as adults.

Travers Johnson and Tremayne Johnson, both 17, appeared Tuesday in juvenile court in Baltimore, where  a judge ruled they will be tried as adults, WBAL reported.

The teens are charged with dousing the dog with gasoline, then setting her on fire on May 27 in the 1700 block of Calhoun Street in southwest Baltimore. The 2-year-old pit bull suffered burns over 98 percent of her body.

The dog, rescued by a police officer, died four days later at a Pennsylvania animal hospital. Her death led to the formation of a city task force to review animal cruelty laws.

Attorney Caroline Griffin, who chairs the animal abuse task force, observed yesterday’s court proceedings.

“What impressed me was how seriously the state’s attorney’s office is taking this case, as well as the court. The court listened to testimony for hours,” she said. “Juveniles who commit these type of crimes are just so much more likely to commit violent crime in the future, and I think people are aware of that, and that’s why this case is so important.”

Prosecutors said both brothers were involved with gangs, had chronic truancy issues and previous probation violations. Both also face drug charges.

Assistant state’s attorney Jennifer Rallo told the judge that video and witness accounts prove the brothers tortured and mutilated Phoenix. She said the brothers used a vacant home at 1616 Gilmore St. to keep pit pulls, and that police found signs of dogs and gang activity there.

Defense attorneys wanted the case to stay in the juvenile system, where they said rehabilitation services and programs were available. They argued that Tremayne Johnson has health issues and suffers from depression and brain tumors for which he recently underwent brain surgery.

I’m not exactly gaga for Lady Gaga. Call me old fashioned but I think the video above would have benefited from a little more of the Great Danes and a little less Gaga. Be that as it may, the reason Lady Gaga — who unfortunately doesn’t come in a decaffienated version — is making her first appearance on ohmidog! is because Rumpus, one of the two Harlequin Great Danes that appear in her music video “Poker Face,”  has passed away.

The five-year-old dog — the one on the right side in the video above, who appeared as well in Lady Gaga’s “Love Game,”  “Paparazzi” and  “Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” — died earlier this month after a Los Angeles hike.

The dog’s owner, Suzzane Kellher-Duckett, told TMZ the award-winning show dog’s death was unexpected. He showed no signs of injury and appeared to be in good health. Kelleher-Duckett says a necropsy was performed and results are pending.

Rumpus was also supposed to appear in Lady Gaga’s video for “Bad Romance,” but because of his death, his fellow co-star and mother, Lava, will now do the video.