UPDATE: Phoebe is still being cared for at the vet partner in NYC. She had what will hopefully be her last skin graft surgery on April 20th, and already has adopters waiting to take her home as soon as she is healed enough! Many thanks to all of her wonderful supporters and everyone who has contributed donations to her medical fund.
WARNING: Some of the images below are graphic.
It was a shocking morning on March 7th for employees of Accurate Diagnostics in Columbia, SC, when they arrived at work and were told not to park in the back because there was “a dead coyote.” A trail of blood behind the building at 1117 St. Andrews Road led Spirit BanBrown and her fiance Monique Ramsey to find not a dead coyote, but a horribly wounded German Shepherd that could barely move her head to let them know that she was alive.
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They immediately arranged to have her taken to Paws and Claws Animal Clinic, where veterinarians diagnosed the injuries as resulting from the dog being dragged behind a vehicle. Fortunately for the dog, now named Phenomenal Phoebe, Paws and Claws took a short video of her wounds and relayed it to their friends at Rescue Dogs Rock NYC.
Jackie O’Sullivan, co-founder of RDRNYC, told The Examiner:
“We so appreciate that phone call… because without it, [Phoebe] would have been euthanized. She would have had no chance and died alone after horrific suffering.”
The extensive wounds included tearing so severe that muscle and bones were exposed, and her back left leg was ripped right down to the marrow. Phoebe was literally ripped to shreds.
O’Sullivan stated on the Rescue Dogs Rock NYC Facebook page:
“This story shakes us to the core. You cannot look at this video without your heart hurting. The human or humans are evil, despicable monsters and they need to be stopped. People capable of an act this horrific should not live among the rest of us. No one is safe. We beg each and every one of you to share [Phoebe’s] story and to help us get justice for her.”
Though in shock, the vet placed Phoebe on IV pain meds, fluids and antibiotics, and she was able to pull through a surgery which included having her leg amputated. This little lady has so much will to live! The most recent updates state that as she has been recovering, Phoebe has been able to stand for short periods of time and is even eating some on her own (though she is still in need of the feeding tube for now).
Rescuers formerly named the dog Astonishing Arabella, but recent developments have been reported that her real name is Phoebe and she and her sister Sophie, a 1-year-old chocolate Pit Bull, went missing from the owners’ backyard. It is unconfirmed at this time as to how they got out or if the owners will be taking Phoebe back, but Sophie is still missing and rescuers are searching for her. The vet confirmed that Phoebe knew her name and was so happy to hear it that she immediately started wagging her tail!
Sophie, Phoebe’s sister, is still missing in Columbia, SC
In spite of all that Phoebe has been through in the past week, she continues to love all of the humans helping her and rescuers are falling in love with her more by the day. She’s out of the woods for now, but will require more surgeries to close the wounds and probably a blood transfusion as well. Phoebe’s medical bills are likely to exceed $10,000 and Rescue Dogs Rock NYC are only able to help pups like her through donations made, so please consider donating here.
This horrible act of dragging dogs behind cars is sadly becoming “a thing.” It is happening all over the world and in many parts of the US, but frequently seen in southern areas like Columbia, SC. Paws and Claws’ vet technician Nikki Jones told ABC Columbia:
“It’s very common. These kinds of things happen weekly around here.”
Rescue Dogs Rock NYC initially offered a reward of $2500 for anyone with information leading to the capture of Phoebe’s torturers, but it has since gone up to $5000. A report was filed with the Richland County Sherriff’s Department, however Phenomenal Phoebe’s followers have been furious to see posts about her on the RCSD Facebook page disappearing.
They fear that this case is being overlooked, and are making their voices heard so that Phoebe can get the justice she deserves and those responsible for doing such a horrible thing won’t have the chance to hurt any other innocent dogs. A South Carolina man who dragged his dog behind a truck back in 2013 was sentenced to 10 years in prison, so these cases can be prosecuted to a larger extent than some would think.
Phenomenal Phoebe is all smiles and starting to feel better thanks to her rescue team
In addition, many groups such as Gabe To The Rescue are outpouring love and support for Phoebe to help raise money to contribute to her medical bills. There is even a t-shirt being sold to support her funds. As always, donations to Rescue Dogs Rock NYC are welcome and necessary to allow them to continue helping the harsh abuse cases that are frequently euthanized due to lack of money.
For more updates on Phenomenal Phoebe, you can follow her Facebook page here. We think she’s the most beautiful tri-pod German Shepherd ever and are all pulling for her to recover quickly!
