Actress Jena Malone chases down man after witnessing him allegedly abusing dog

Actress Jena Malone was recently involved in an animal rescue right out of a movie.

Malone, known for her roles in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, says she witnessed a man "repeatedly" kicking a small dog in Los Angeles this week, "yanking him up in the air and absolutely choking" him.

"I yelled at him to stop from my car but he wouldn't," Malone tweeted. "I got out of my car to try and get the dog but he started running. So I started chasing him."

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Malone says others quickly joined her in chasing the man down the street, at which point she "held back and let them take the lead as I have no business trying to restrain a full grown man." Footage captured by NBCLA showed a group of people beating the man on the street. According to the report, he was arrested for alleged animal cruelty, and the dog was taken by animal control.

Malone tweeted that she "didn't see the brawl but I was told that the man did not give up the dog without a fight," adding that she waited with the animal, who "looked like it had been not taken care of for months," until he was taken to a hospital. "I'm sorry that it ended in a brawl but the dog was going to die," Malone said. "No question. I can't imagine the level of torture it had suffered until this point."

Later, Malone said the dog was returned to its owner after being missing for a week, and she shared a link to a GoFundMe page seeking to help the recovery. According to the fundraiser, the dog, Champ, suffered "broken ribs, abrasions" and a broken leg.

The dog's owner, Kelly McKinney, told The Washington Post her son allegedly stole Champ. "The last thing I thought he would do is put his hands on that dog," she said.