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OILDALE, Calif. -- A puppy was recently found tagged with red spray paint in an alley off Chester Avenue.

The puppy was found across from Sam Lynn Ballpark with the letters "O-A-E" sprayed on her side and a red strip sprayed down her back.

Michelle Lyon met the puppy Tuesday night when her neighbor brought her home.

"It's appalling," Lyon said. "We have so many animals dumped all the time, and we have so many graffiti problems in this area, and now we have them both in the same thing."

Some people who live in the area where the puppy was found said this is the new trend in gang tagging. They said they see dogs and cats walking around with spray paint on them all the time.

Those residents spoke on condition of anonymity, because they said they fear the gang members responsible for the graffiti. They said the gang members tag animals to mark their territory.

Officials with the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County sheriff's and animal control departments said they're unaware of the problem. They said, however, that they wouldn't expect to hear about it because of the fear of gangs.

The woman who rescued the puppy couldn't keep her because she isn't allowed to have animals at her apartment complex.

She set up an adoption listing on Craigslist and successfully found the puppy a home a few days later, she said.