A woman found the German Shepherd on her deck in Richland Township.
“It was hiding behind a hot tub, just cowering down,” said Steve Stoehr, an animal advocate who trapped and helped rescue the dog. “There was blood stains on the floor.”
The homeowner called police, and eventually, Stoehr and fellow animal advocate Wanda Little were called in.
“It breaks your heart when you think there’s an animal sitting there in pain, and it doesn’t know you’re trying to help it,” said Little.
A veterinarian tells Stoehr the rope may have been wrapped around the dog for months and that the rope was tied in a knot.
Stoehr believes the fact that there’s a knot makes it far less likely the dog became trapped in the rope on its own. He believes someone may have wrapped the rope around the dog as a way of tying it up, and then it managed break free.
Stoehr brought the dog to the Northview Animal Hospital in Ross Township for help.
The rope cut into the dog’s right front leg so badly, there’s a risk it may have to be amputated, although the vet is hoping to avoid that, according to Stoehr.
Stoehr will take the dog to the Humane Society as soon as it’s well enough to leave the animal hospital.
Humane agents are not yet involved in the case.
The dog had no identifying collar or tag, according to Stoehr.
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| This is a dog in South Carolina which suffered from the same cruelty - an embedded rope. |
Update to story: The dog's owner, John Wolford, was charged with animal cruelty.
(CBS Local - April 29, 2016)
