COOPER CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - A puppy is recovering in a Cooper City animal hospital after, authorities said, she was beaten severely with a stick by her owner’s neighbor.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said deputies have arrested Anthony Davis, the man believed to have beaten the small terrier mix at her Pompano Beach home, Wednesday.
Davis told police the 8-week-old dog was trying to bite him, so he defended himself.
According to Terry Simpson, the dog’s owner before she signed the animal over to a rescue group, said the puppy was hit hard several times, injuring her left eye and causing multiple skull and jaw fractures.
“He took a stick about this long, and wrapped that thing around, and he hit her in the top of her head,” said Simpson. “It looked like her eye popped out, OK?”
Simpson, who called her pet Itty Bitty, said Davis bashed the animal’s head so hard that the stick broke into several pieces. “She’s the smallest one, and to take [a stick] and hit her in her own home that way, she can’t fight for herself. She can’t defend herself,” she said. “You’re a grown man, but no, that wasn’t necessary.”
After the incident, someone called Broward County Animal Control Services, and Davis was issued a $512 fine.
Deputies discovered there was a warrant out for Davis’ arrest on an unrelated matter, so they took him into custody.
Itty Bitty was rushed to the Broward County animal clinic. The Simpsons could not afford medical care, so they signed over their rights.
Pam Weiner with the animal rescue group Dachshund Rescue South Florida responded. “I got in the car and went to get her. I was there within about 20 minutes,” she said.
Weiner said the puppy was in poor shape. “Her tongue was hanging out, and you could see there was, like, blankness,” she said.
The rescue brought the injured dog to LeadER Animal Specialty Hospital in Cooper City.
Weiner said the canine sustained severe head trauma. “She may lose her left eye from the damage. She has multiple skull fractures from being hit,” she said.
Caretakers said the puppy may have long-term brain damage, but it’s too soon to tell.
In the meantime, Weiner has given the dog a new name because she has been given a second chance. “Zelda is a warrior princess, and I knew she was going to be strong to get through this, so we figured we’d give her a name suiting that,” she said.
One hundred percent of Zelda’s care is coming from donations to Dachshund Rescue. If you would like to help, click here. http://www.dachshundrescuesouthflorida.com/
Criminal charges against Davis are pending.
“This is something that is criminal, and they should pay for this,” said Weiner. “I don’t know how anybody could do that to a tiny baby. It just makes no sense to me.”
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