Dog shot in the heart, lung with arrow
Ionia, MI (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Oct 22, 2006
County: Ionia
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
An Ionia-area woman and her two teenage children are clinging to hope that their beloved black labrador, Buck, will survive an arrow wound to his heart and lung, while another family dog is still missing and presumed dead.
Sherry Osborne, of Charles Road in Ronald Township, awoke on the morning of Oct 22 to the cries of one of her two dogs who she believed was whining to get back in the home after a routine "bathroom" break outside.
When she opened the door, she was stunned to find an arrow protruding from Buck's chest.
"I thought, 'Oh my God,'" Osborne recalls. "I ran to my son's room and told him, 'Your dog's just been shot.'"
After a few moments of panic over Buck, Osborne realized her other dog, a 10-year-old Red Doberman Pinscher named Rusty, was no where to be found. As of Monday night Rusty was still missing, and Osborne presumes he was killed by another arrow.
Buck was taken by the family to Grand Rapids Emergency Hospital, but veterinarians there were not confident they could successfully perform the extensive procedures required to save Buck's life.
The family then transported Buck to Michigan State University's Small Animal Clinic, where he underwent a five-hour surgery late Sunday night to remove the arrow from the dog's heart and lung.
The MSU veterinarian had to remove part of Buck's lung and close two holes in his heart chamber. Despite a successful surgery, there may still be carbon from the graphite arrow remaining in Buck's chest, and he has a heart arrhythmia from the wound. He may also be susceptible to contracting a bacterial infection.
Buck continues to receive around-the-clock care at the clinic. Despite the grave injuries, Osborne said that the vet gave the robust one-year-old labrador a favorable chance of recovery due to his youth and strength.
"He looks so much better than he did yesterday," Osborne said via her cellular telephone while at the small animal clinic Monday. "He's very, very lucky."
Buck is expected to remain at MSU for the next week for recovery.
The dog's medical expenses are expected to be at least $5,000. The family has already paid $2,500 down for the operation and care.
Osborne realizes that is a steep price to pay for a family pet, but Buck has a special value to the family.
Last August, Osborne's teenage son was badly injured in an automobile accident on the first day he received his license. Osborne was following him when he fell asleep at the wheel, and veered off the road and into a tree.
As Osborne kneeled by her son's side, he stopped breathing. In a desperate attempt to revive him, Osborne told him she would get him the puppy he wanted earlier in the day but that she had forbidden him to take. At that moment, her son regained his breathing and consciousness.
"So that's how we got Buck," Osborne said. "How could I not help him," she added. "How could I say 'euthanize him' when he could make it."
Osborne said her dogs, both of whom primarily live indoors, were only out for a short time and that typically they don't stray far from home. Rusty, the dog who is still missing, was rarely away from home for more than one-half hour.
She said the 60-acre property surrounding her home is mostly owned by siblings and that she was not aware of any hunters in the immediate vicinity.
A former archery store employee, Osborne said the arrow was definitely from a crossbow. Ionia County Prosecutor Ronald Schafer said a special permit is required to legally hunt with a crossbow and that in order to obtain such a permit the person must display a disability that prohibits them from hunting with a conventional bow.
Ionia County Animal Control officers investigated the incident and collected evidence, including the arrow lodged in Buck's chest.
Schafer said in this case he would likely charge the person who shot the dog with a four-year felony since it could be argued that shooting a pet with an arrow constitutes torture.
Schafer also said the recovery of the arrow will help investigators determine who may have shot Buck and possibly Rusty.
For now, Osborne, a single mother, and her children will wait to hear word from MSU veterinarians and pray for Buck's recovery.
"He's here on this earth for a reason - he's in our family for a reason," Osborne said.
Anyone interested in assisting Osborne financially may call the MSU Small Animal Clinic at (517) 353-5420 and make arrangements to directly donate to Buck's account.
Anyone with information about the incident may contact the Ionia County Central Dispatch's non-emergency line at (616) 527-0400 ext. 4.
References« MI State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Ionia County, MI
|
