When local bartender, Donna Simmons, rescued an injured mixed breed dog she found behind Goose Country Lounge on Hwy. 28 recently, she made a new friend as well.
On Wednesday, May 30, Simmons arrived to work at the lounge to set up the bar. She heard a yelping noise coming from behind the building.
She investigated to find a severely injured dog, about one year old, hiding in the wood line next to the dumpster. After Simmons and a friend cleared the brush and coaxed the dog out, they found that he appeared to have many canine bites all over his body. He was emaciated and lacked the energy to move.
The dog is a male, about one year old, and is likely a mix of collie and another breed. He was in a deplorable condition, had several open wounds that had become infected and infested with maggots.
Simmons had the dog taken to Dr. Doug Brandon of Brandon Veterinary Clinic in Leesville. Dr. Brandon shaved the dog, cleaned his wounds and gave him a large dose of antibiotics.
�You can tell that he's just been chewed up really bad and that's what the vet said too,� Simmons explained.
Simmons, and her friend, Frances Howe, who helped her get the dog to the vet, say they don't know what happened to the dog, but they suspect he was used in some type of organized dogfighting.
Dr. Brandon disagrees. �I see no evidence of organized dog fighting, I've been doing this for many years now and dogs just chew each other up, it's in their nature,� he said.
Simmons, a self-described animal lover, said whatever caused the dog's injuries, she wants to keep him and nurse him back to health. She once owned two boxers, but they died of old age several years ago. She said she is ready for another pet.
In the past week, the dog has become somewhat of a mascot for the Goose Country Lounge. Simmons and regular customers at the bar can't decide what his name should be, but they are considering �Chief� or �Captain Jack.�
Simmons said the dog may be lost, and actually belong to a family in the area. �If this dog happens to belong to a family and they come to claim him, I would give him back in exchange for help with the vet bill,� Simmons said.
�He's a real sweet dog. I just can't stand to see anything suffer,� she added. The dog has been through much pain, but it is plain to see that he trusts Simmons and knows that he is safe now. If you have information on this case, please contact:
Leesville Police Department
(337) 238-0331
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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