Dog who survived DV is healing
October 19th, 2017
Jane was visiting family out of state when the unthinkable happened. She had arranged for an employee to run the grooming business she owned close to her home, while her ex-husband took care of her cat and four dogs while she was away. One evening, her employee heard a gunshot from Jane’s house. She immediately called the police and then Jane’s son.
When the authorities arrived, they discovered that Murphy, Jane’s 11-month-old boxer, had been shot in the face by her ex. Amazingly, Murphy was still alive when Jane’s son got there, and he worked with a local humane society to get Murphy to Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital to see if the dog could be saved.
The vets at CSU thought that Murphy had an excellent chance at a full recovery, and to help with costs, the local humane society referred Jane to RedRover. She applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant, and the vets at CSU worked with Jane long-distance to make sure that Murphy got the surgery he needed. They were able to reconstruct Murphy’s jaw and close his wounds to give him the best chance possible to heal. Thanks to their hard work, the amazing healing resilience of young animals, and your generous support, Murphy is on his way to making a full recovery.
Jane has since told us, “Murphy is doing great! Thank you all so much for all that you’ve done to raise money to help Murphy. He’s a very special boy with a huge heart and didn’t deserve what happened to him. My ex is in jail and it looks like they’re sending him to prison. I’m just glad that Murphy didn’t pay the ultimate price. Thank you again for all your love and prayers and time.”
Studies have found a significant link between violence against animals and violence against people. Abusers hurt animals to vicariously hurt their human victims, to try to assert their dominance and control, or to take away the love and support their human victims receive from their pets. They may also react violently to an animal who they see as disrespectful or not obedient.
Animal abuse is now a felony in all 50 states, and law enforcement agencies are learning to search for other types of abuse in homes where animals have been harmed. There is also more effort to reach out to families who may need assistance to show them that there are resources and assistance available, as well as people who care about them who want to help.
To learn more about the link between animal and human abuse, visit the National Link Coalition.
