When ARL Animal Services received a call from several concerned people about a woman abusing her dog, we rushed to help. Witnesses said they’d seen the little white dog crying out in pain as the woman repeatedly hit him, choked him, threw him, and stomped on him.
The reports coming in of the brazen and brutal attack were shocking, but nothing prepared us for what happened next. When our Animal Control Officer arrived, the woman didn’t even try to hide what she was doing. She struck the dog repeatedly in front of the ARL officer, and when he ordered her to stop and to put the dog down, she told him she wouldn’t, then threw the dog once again.
Our ACO placed himself between the yelling woman and the cowering dog as Des Moines Police arrived, then quickly moved the dog to safety.
When we got the dog back to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, our medical team began examining his injuries. Still terrified, he snapped at us, trying to defend himself. He expected to be hurt again. And after the trauma he’d been through, who could blame him? It broke our hearts.
We learned his name was Toby and spoke to him softly. We gently restrained him so we could help him. Once we were holding him so he felt secure, he calmed and let us look him over.
We could see the major injuries were to his head. He whimpered as we shaved the area as quickly and as gently as we could. Large purple and red bruises stretched from his injured eye to the top of his head and across his ear. There were places that looked like they’d been punctured. We delicately cleaned his wounds, started him on antibiotics and made him a soft bed where he could begin his recovery. Sadly, we also found old injuries that can no longer be healed and will affect how he walks for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, Toby is finally safe from the horrors of his previous life. He likely has never known kindness, until now. With your help he will continue to recover and soon find a family to give him the love he has always deserved.
Your donation can help heal his physical wounds, and over time, his emotional wounds will begin to heal as well.
Please donate today. Your gift will help Toby and so many other animals who will count on you in 2020.
P.S. Yelena Barr was arrested, released, and the very next day she bought a new dog off of Craigslist!!! This week she pleaded guilty to animal neglect for what she did to Toby and is currently serving 30 days in jail. The dog she purchased is now also safely in our care and that case is pending.
