HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A dog found severely injured and stuffed inside a suitcase in Hollywood has died.
According to the staff at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, Ollie died Thursday, at 8:30 p.m., due to his injuries.
“We just couldn’t stop crying,” said Jan Milbyer with Grateful Paws Dog and Cat Rescue, the group that brought in the canine. “We weren’t expecting it. Every doctor we spoke to was under the impression that he was going to pull through.”
Hospital officials said they worked for over an hour to keep the bully-breed terrier alive, but his body was unable to overcome the inflammation and damage done to him.
“We were all very hopeful. He’d had two successful procedures Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Dr. Nicole Patterson. “In the morning, he was a little bit sleepy, more sleepy than usual. He was very swollen from all the surgeries he had, but everybody was hopeful that he just needed more time and rest.”
Patterson said that the trauma had become too much for Ollie. “[On Thursday], throughout the day, he slowly began to deteriorate. His body just basically shut down,” she said.
The roughly 2-year-old pit bull mix, named Ollie or Oliver by the rescue group, had been recovering at the Hollywood Animal Hospital after he was beaten and stabbed multiple times before being left for dead.
Veterinarians said Ollie was stabbed about 20 to 30 times before someone shoved him in a blue suitcase and left him in an alley behind an abandoned house, near Lee Street and North 19th Avenue, early Tuesday morning.
Audio of the 911 call captured the conversation between the dispatcher and Steve Rogers, the passer-by who spotted the blue suitcase.
Operator: “911, what is your emergency?”
Steve Rogers: “Hey, I don’t know if it’s that big of an emergency. I mean, it kind of is for me, but I was just walking my girlfriend home, and I heard something moving, and I looked over, and it was a suitcase, and it looks like a dog is locked in the suitcase. Now, I’m not one to open the suitcase and get bit, so is there anything you guys can do?”
Speaking with 7News on Friday, Rogers said he is still astonished by this case of animal abuse. “I don’t know how you do that to an animal. It’s defenseless,” he said.
Rogers said the dog was silent when he first saw the suitcase. “He wasn’t making any type of sound. He just moved once I stood the suitcase up,” he said, “and that’s when my girlfriend shined a light on the bottom of the suitcase and we saw a paw.”
Despite all that he’d been though, Patterson said, Ollie still wagged his tail at the hospital, where he was surrounded by doting staff and donated toys.
Grateful Paws had raised close to $40,000 for his recovery efforts. “People from all over were interested in either fostering him or adopting or both. It’s just been unbelievable,” said Milbyer.
Thursday night, Ollie passed away after doctors tried CPR and other efforts.
Police have said the investigation continues into who committed this act of animal cruelty. “I was horrified,” said a woman. “I hope they find who did that.”
Another resident said, “I feel like so sad about it. I don’t understand how people can be so cruel, and I hope they find this person.”
“It just shows me how terrible this world can be, how cruel people can be,” said Rogers.
As police continued to investigate, Friday morning, someone brought a toy animal and left it at the door of the hospital after receiving the news.
“The only redeeming thing is that he didn’t die alone,” said Milbyer. “He could have died in the suitcase, but he didn’t die alone.”
“It was a bittersweet kind of moment, ’cause I’m happy that it passed away with the love it got and not in a suitcase,” said Rogers, “but I kind of wanted to push for trying to adopt him one day.”
Friday afternoon, a stuffed animal, flowers and greeting card were left on their doorstep of the abandoned home near where Ollie was found. Inside the card a handwritten message read, “We were no able to save you, but at least we can get you justice.”
After all of Ollie’s fees have been paid for, any leftover donated money will go toward care for other dogs in the care of Grateful Paws.
If you have any information on this animal abuse case, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
As police continued to investigate, Friday morning, someone brought a toy animal and left it at the door of the hospital after receiving the news.
“The only redeeming thing is that he didn’t die alone,” said the rescue group spokesperson. “He could have died in the suitcase, but he didn’t die alone.”
Friday afternoon, a stuffed animal, flowers and greeting card were left on their doorstep of the abandoned home near where Ollie was found. Inside the card a handwritten message read, “We may not have been able to save you, but we can get you justice.”
After all of Ollie’s fees have been paid for, any leftover donated money will go toward care for other rescue group animals.
If you have any information on this animal abuse case, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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