After being dragged a mile and a half down a Missouri highway, a 5-month-old pit bull puppy named Trooper is making a remarkable recovery as authorities search for the individual responsible.
The day before Thanksgiving motorists along Highway 55 noticed a puppy tied to the back of a pickup truck and being dragged along, apparently with the driver unaware. Some began flagging down the truck while others called 911.
Police described the truck’s driver as being visibly distraught when they arrived at the scene. He claimed he didn’t how the puppy became tethered between the back of his truck and the attached trailer and he only became aware of it after other drivers got his attention.
The pup was transported to the Missouri Humane Society where veterinarians performed emergency surgery. In addition to treating Trooper’s multiple lacerations and removing gravel from deep wounds all over his body, veterinarians noticed the puppy’s bones were visible underneath his fur, suggesting the dog had endured other abuse prior to this harrowing highway experience.
Despite initially thinking they would have to amputate the dog’s right leg, the veterinarians now feels there’s a good chance Trooper will be able to keep it, and he is already walking on as seen in a video appropriately titled, “Trooper’s First Fetch.”
“I get chills just sitting here talking about it,” Missouri Humane Society Vice President Debbie Hill told The New York Daily News. “These are some of the worst injuries I’ve ever seen happen to an animal. And he survived.”
“As you change his bandages, instead of squirming and fighting, he’ll just lay there with his head on your arm . . . He’s got that special something. When you’re with him, you just have to have your hands on him. You just have to tell him how brave he’s been,” added Hill.
A $5,000 reward has been offered by the Missouri Humane Society for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons who tied Trooper to the truck. To provide information to authorities on this crime, call 314-647-4400.
The Missouri Humane Society has already received multiple adoption requests, though it says Trooper is nowhere near ready for such a transition.
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