Pit Bull Found in Dumpster

February 21, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Stabbed and left for dead is how a Florida pit bull was found in a dumpster last Monday.

The dog was abandoned in a Hollywood alley. With a deep cut above his tail and Styrofoam filling his nostrils, the dog’s injuries prevented him from escaping. He also has suffered nerve damage to his back leg from a knife wound.

The dog was discovered Monday morning by a janitorial crew. A business woman stopped the trash truck from its collection and called Faktura Pet Projekts – a shelter known for rescuing abused animals from the streets.

Despite being brutally stabbed in the back, this pit bull was full of kisses for his rescuers.

But even with the tender, loving care of the shelter’s veterinarian performing an emergency surgery, the damage to the dog’s back leg may be permanent.

Vets are trying to determine how to handle his medical issues. The dog, who has been named McChomperton, also has heart worms. Vets say treating the nerve damage could negatively affect the heart worm therapy, and vice versa.

Unfortunately, officials said abuse cases like this are becoming more common.

Rescue workers at FPP say they’ve seen this kind of abuse first hand and they’ve saved more than 60 dogs just like McChomperton in the last year.

But this tale has a happy ending, two days after McChomperton was found, his owners saw the evening news broadcasting his story.

The next day he was reunited to his family. McChomperton, who’s real name is Dada Love, had been stolen from his home three weeks ago along with the family’s other pit bull.

While the family reported the dogs stolen, there still are no clues as to who might have taken them. The female dog has yet to be found and an investigation is ongoing.

“It’s a huge wake-up call to people who think that not having a dog micro chipped is not that important,” Johnston said. “This owner was lucky and was able to get their dog back. But unfortunately, especially with pit bulls, they get stolen all the time and you never know what they want them for.”

While Dada Love had no evidence of being fought, Johnston contends it’s possible that “maybe they tried to fight him, but he was too docile and wouldn’t. So they stabbed him and threw him away.”

Dada Love still has a long road ahead of him. He was fortunate that the knife missed all major veins and arteries, but it remains to be seen how much nerve damage was done to the sciatica.

Whatever the diagnosis, the worst case scenario stands that if he doesn’t regain feeling in his hind leg, it might have to be amputated.

Despite the breed’s vicious reputation, Dada Love’s traumatic experience left him just as loving as ever.

“If we could only be as noble as our canine counterparts, we’d have a lot to say for ourselves,” Johnston said.

For more information about Faktura Pet Projekts, visit their Web site at Fakturaprojekts.com or call 954-560-1812.

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Contributions to this story courtesy NBC 6 Florida.