Dog shot, found in river
Des Moines, IA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 27, 2011
County: Polk
Disposition: Open
Case Images: 1 files available
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Des Moines Police and Animal Control is asking for the public's help in finding the person who shot a dog and dumped it in the river.
"He had a wound on his back which you know which we did some x-rays and found out it appears to be a bullet. So not only was he in the river, but he had been shot too," says Josh Colvin with the Animal Rescue League.
Two people rescued the one-year-old dog from the Des Moines River last week. The dog, now named Duke, was found near the Harriet Street boat ramp off Southeast 14th Street Thursday afternoon.
The bullet is still lodged in his spine. As a result, Duke is partially paralyzed.
Police and Animal Control have no suspects. If you have information on this case, please contact:
Des Moines Police
(515) 283-4865
Case UpdatesA dog shot in the back was rescued from the Des Moines River nearly a month ago. For the first time since his surgery, he is back on the move.
Police still don't know who shot Duke, a stray Mastiff mix, on January 27th. The bullet lodged in his spine and left him partly paralyzed. "It's a pretty spineless act to deliberately shoot a dog. I mean dog's are man's best friend they don't do anything to hurt anybody," says Andy Dennis.
Dennis cared for the dog he befriended, fed and named for more than a year. Now, Duke is in the care of animal specialists at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State.
"When something happens like this which certainly is avoidable, we go the extra mile to see what we can do to making sure this works out," says Dr. Karl Kraus.
Doctors removed the bullet from Duke's spine, but the damage was already done. "There's always hope things will improve for him too with his paralysis," says Dennis.
While the patient is showing signs of improvement, Kraus doubts he will be able to walk on his own again. "Unfortunately, it looks like that is going to be the case. Really wish we could say something different," he says.
Duke can still get around with the help of a cart. Learning to walk on two legs takes some getting used to. The dog is working up his strength. Eventually, he should be able to get around with ease at his new home or at least, once he finds one.
"That's what we do, we fix them and then they need to leave, that's what we want to have happen," says Kraus.
The Animal Rescue League is close to finding Duke a new home and we hope to bring you an update soon. "He's a nice dog. He deserved a lot better than what he's dealt with right now," says Dennis.
The reward to find the person who shot him stands at $6500. If you have any information about the shooting, call Des Moines Police at (515) 283-4865. | Source: whotv.com - Feb25, 2011
Update posted on Feb 25, 2011 - 10:55PM |
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