LMPD Officer Lisa Nagle tells Fox 41 News that it all started by a phone call.
"A few weeks ago, I had gotten a call from a Metro Animal Services officer who said they had a situation where a dog had been surrendered to them."
The little Jack Russell named Lucy belonged to a local woman whose name has not been released. That woman got into a fight with her boyfriend, 25-year-old Joshua Headden, and left the house.
At that point the dog was fine, but when she returned, the dog had a severe leg injury -- one that appeared to leave its bones protruding.
"More than likely, that injury was sustained from a blow to the leg," Nagle said.
The unidentified woman took the dog to Metropolitan Animal Hospital, and the vets there told her the pet had received compound fractures to its femur and would require surgery costing just short of $4,000.
The woman told her she didn't have the money to pay for it.
That's when, Nagle says, a local charity called "Saving Sunny" stepped forward and provided the funds for Lucy's operation.
That was nice of them to raise the money for this dog, but before you think of donating to their cause take a look at their Facebook page. It is 90% pit bulls and full of 'anti-BSL' proclamations so my guess is that's what most of donated money is spent on.
According to its Facebook page, Saving Sunny was created to, "assist the Louisville Metro Police Department with funding, equipment and training for Animal Cruelty Enforcement Officers who will be specifically trained to respond to animal cruelty cases."
The surgery took four hours and involved placing metal implants in Lucy's leg, according to Nagle, but the dog is recovering. "I saw the dog about two weeks ago after her surgery," Nagle said. "She was doing fine."
Headden has been charged with torturing a dog, which is a felony, and cruelty to animals, which is a misdemeanor. He was arrested shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday. He was arraigned Thursday morning and bond was set at $500 cash.
Nagle says Lucy will soon be put up for adoption. Metro Animal Services tells Fox 41 that the dog should be available by mid-September.
(WDRB - July 22, 2010)
