We have an update tonight to a story we first told you about on Eyewitness News at 6pm. The cocker spaniel, dragged for more than a mile by a car, is out of surgery, after what many are calling one of the worst cases of animal abuse.
This dog is a 6-month old purebred puppy. It suffered extensive trauma to its paws and abdomen. But thanks to a good samaritan, this puppy may just make it.
"He had a lot of what we call "road rash" or abrasions, a lot of open wounds," said staff veterinarian Dr. Rita Gritzmacher.
Those wounds are from an apparent act of animal cruelty. "I had a customer come in frantic telling me that he was following someone who was dragging their dog behind their car down the road," said Linda Tilton, Store Manager at the K&K Food Mart in Lockport.
"They dragged a dog about a mile down the road behind their vehicle and ended up throwing it behind our air pumps at our store," said Chris Kaufman, a cashier who saw the incident take place.
Tilton acted quickly. She bundled the puppy up in her sweatshirt and drove it to the Greater Buffalo Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Amherst where it underwent two hours of emergency surgery.
"He was doing okay right after surgery. The fact that he made it through surgery is a big help. I'd say his prognosis right now is very guarded, at least for the first 12 hours," said Gritzmacher.
Tilton is a dog lover, and she opened up her wallet to do whatever was needed for this sweet black and white puppy. "It's the saddest thing I've ever seen. Its very upsetting to me," she said.
"She did not hesitate once we talked about the financial end of it and the hospitalization side of it. She seemed very willing to help out. A good samaritan," said Dr. Gritzmacher.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office is now looking for the duo that allegedly dragged the dog. "They are looking for a young man and woman in a blue Chevy Lumina, we believe. We did get the license plate," said Tilton. She also believes some of the incident might have been taped by the store's video surveillance system.
In the meantime, the puppy looks like he could pull through this trauma and live a full life. He's on pain medication and wrapped in bandages, in a crate at the emergency clinic. But Dr. Gritzmacher says he'll likely be able to walk again with a limp. "He's going to need more surgeries. As far as how he does, we're just going to have to wait and see," said Dr. Gritzmacher.
Tilton also has to wait and see if she can adopt this puppy, and give it a name and a loving home. "This dog needs somebody to love it and I think I'm the right person," said Tilton.
No one has been arrested in connection with this case and the SPCA is investigating to determine if this puppy has an owner. The veterinarian did not find a microchip when it scanned the dog.
Meanwhile, Tilton footed the first vet bill, which came to an estimated total of $3,000 but that's expected to increase with additional surgeries.
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