A dog shot and left for dead is now on the mend and with a new owner.
Kayakers found the dog on the edge of a canal in St. Lucie County.
Investigators want to know who did this to the 1 1/2-year-old great Pyranese named Curtis.
Despite compelling evidence, no arrest has been made.
Now there’s a duo only a month in the making
Come on my puppy, come on,” Kathy Dole said. “He sleeps in my bed.”
He was adopted just weeks after he was rescued by kayakers.
Curtis was loaded onto a kayak in a St. Lucie County canal, a known animal dumping area of Taylor Dairy Road.
Donna Jones was kayaker who called 911.
Animal control jumped into her kayak with Jones’ husband the only way to reach Curtis.
He couldnt help himself to get into the kayak,” animal control’s Maria Valencia said. “My officer had to pull him in with assistance.”
Valencia said after the rescue, he was taken to the vet.
He confirmed Curtis was shot in the head before he ended up near the canal with water in his lungs.
An X-ray shows bullet fragments in his face.
It was determined the gunshot was at least 2 days old so he may have been in the water for at least 48 hours,” Valencia said. Hes really tired, you can hear him now.
Officers found out the owner, days before this, had called the county trying to surrender him.
He attacked my other dog and I ripped them apart and he kind of bit me a few times for getting in the middle,” the caller said.
She called at least three times.
I will just keep calling back until somebody answers,” the caller said. “Again this is probably like my 16th time calling,:
According to county records, the dispatch was told: If the dog is home when her husband gets home, he was going to shoot the dog.
I need him gone like as soon as possible, preferably within the next hour or so,” the caller said.
Despite back-and-forth calls for at least 30 minutes, no pickup could be scheduled.
The county says owners have to schedule a surrender and they will not do a pickup.
WPTV texted, messaged and left a voicemail to try to talk to the owner, but haven’t heard back.
Animal control said investigators have also not been able to get in touch.
Despite saying her husband would shoot the dog, Valencia said that’s still not enough to move the investigation forward.
Unless for the actual shooting, unless we have a witness that comes forward and places the gun in a certain persons hands theres not really much we can move forward with,” Valencia said. “We were all just really sad to hear there was that in humans.”
Jacque Parrone’s H.A.L.O. No-Kill Rescue Shelter in Sebastian took in Curtis to treat his wounds.
So look at the silver linings,” Petrone said. “He now has an amazing mom that adores him.
Investigators are asking anyone with information, including whether you saw the dog between July 21 and 27, to call Animal Safety, Services & Protection at 772-462-8120.