WOODBRIDGE — The animal advocacy group Desmond’s Army is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for tossing a lovable bulldog out of a truck on a busy road after a botched home surgery.
“It’s a vile case,” said Desmond’s Army president Robin “Zilla”
The case of the bulldog, named Mary by staff at Woodbridge Regional Animal Control because the dog “lived only through the grace of God,” has drawn statewide attention after her story was featured in the New Haven Register.
By Monday afternoon the shelter had received at least 15 adoption offers for Mary — as well as interest in adopting each of the other dogs at the shelter, except for one American Bully breed named Penny, who didn’t pique interest, Lombardi said. She said Penny, too, has had a “traumatic life.”
“The phone has not stopped ringing,” Lombardi said Monday.
Folks on social media have expressed outrage at whomever left Mary for dead after tossing her, bleeding internally, on the side of busy Racebrook Road in Woodbridge at dusk. Lombardi said someone had botched a makeshift cesarean section on Mary and left gauze inside.
Luckily, a woman behind the truck saw Mary get tossed, picked up the dog and went for help. Mary had surgery and antibiotics and now is ready for a forever home.
That woman, focused on rescuing Mary, didn’t get a license plate number or details about the truck. Lombardi said Mary, a small dog, almost certainly would been hit by a vehicle in the dark if she had not been picked up — that is, if she didn’t bleed to death first.
Lombardi was thrilled by the response from the public and will carefully vet the applications.
She’s said Mary, estimated to be 31/2 years old, is “a love bug” who adores attention and probably would do well as an only dog.
When Mary arrived at the shelter Oct. 25 she was covered in urine and bleeding heavily from the inside, gauze stuck in her wound. Despite all she went through, Mary was good-natured when she arrived and has stayed that way, Lombardi said.
Lombardi said Mary’s surgery was thousands of dollars and paid for out of the shelter’s nonprofit “One Big Dog Animal Respite Fund,” to prevent and alleviate animal suffering by providing medical care, spay and neutering services, food and placement assistance for stray and abandoned shelter animals.
Between Mary’s medical care, all the other dogs at the shelter with needs, and the inability to fundraise because of the pandemic, Lombardi said the fund is low and in need of donations. Any contributions are appreciated and checks can be made out to “One Big Dog Animal Respite Fund,” 135 Bradley Road, Woodbridge CT 06525.