When a South Carolina dog timidly walked into PETS, Inc. holding a tennis ball in his mouth, his emaciated condition and the bites from head to tail led animal rescuers to think he had been used as a bait dog for a dog-fighting operation. When they pried him away from his tennis ball and opened his mouth to check his age, they were shocked to find that all his teeth had been sawed or broken off. Only the roots remained.
As the rescuers were reeling, he went back to his ball.
“Cowboy (the name rescuers gave him) paid no attention to us or any of the other dogs in the room. He was solely focused on his tennis ball,” his PETS, Inc. page states. “This great prize was given to him by the sweet young woman who found him and he was so enchanted with it that he cared about nothing else. He probably never had a toy before.”
Cowboy will be needing major work on his teeth.
“His mouth is a real big concern because we know all that’s going to have to be addressed we don’t know how much surgery is going to be involved,” says PETS, Inc.’s Jane Brundage. “But, he can’t go the rest of his life without addressing this because the roots are still in there and they’re all damaged and broken and cracked and not good.”
News reports state that PETS, Inc. is accepting donations to help with Cowboy’s oral surgery. You can call Pets, Inc. at 803-739-9333 to find out more. (Alternatively here’s a general donation page.) Cowboy is now in a foster home, but after a full medical evaluation will be looking for a forever home. Cowboy’s PETS Inc. page states that a good home for Cowboy would be “a gentle family who will provide him with soft food and lots of love. He seems to be excellent with small children and oddly indifferent to other dogs.” (Update: We heard from Cowboy’s foster family via a comment below; They are going to be keeping him! I’ve asked them for more information and a picture or two, and if they send it, I’ll post it here.)
This sweet pit bull (he looks like part pit bull and part great Dane!) was found in Gaston, S.C., where other dogs in similar conditions have been found. PETS, Inc. is asking for people to spread the word and for locals to keep their eyes peeled for suspicious behavior there. There’s a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that will lead to a conviction for dog fighting in South Carolina.
You know that story I posted about an hour ago, about the boxers and other fighters who are trying to knock out dog fighting? I wonder what those guys would do if they ran into the people who sawed off Cowboy’s teeth? I’m not advocating violence. I’m just sayin’…
Photos: PETS, Inc.
