Hope

December 2009

CHARLES CITY — It was a typical Thursday afternoon for Todd. He was on his way home from work just outside of Charles City when something on the highway caught his eye. He saw something small tumbling across the roadway; when he slowed down, he could see it was a small dog.

Todd immediately stopped to see if the dog was hurt. "I couldn't tell if the dog had been hit by a car, or thrown from a moving vehicle, but I could tell she was in pain and I knew I had to help", said Todd, who prefers to remain anonymous. The small brown and white beagle had a mangled front leg and her jaw was bloodied and broken.

He first checked with residents of a nearby house to see if it was their pet. It wasn't. So he called for help. He called a local veterinarian in Charles City and was told, "unless he wanted to foot the bill, he should just walk away". He called Charles City's Animal Control department and was asked if the dog was a nuisance. Upon explaining the situation, he was told there was nothing they could do to help him and he should "let it go". Frustrated, Todd called the Humane Society of North Iowa (HSNI) in Mason City hoping they would help. He was told to bring the dog to the shelter right away.

Todd wrapped the injured beagle up in his jacket and drove her to the Humane Society. The beagle was immediately seen by the Humane Society's local veterinarian, who referred her to a specialist in Des Moines. After further examination, it was determined that she had a gunshot wound to the face and that the mangled leg was the result of a gunshot wound as well. The leg injury was so severe that the leg had to be amputated. The dog did not have injuries that would be conducive to being hit by a car, so it's likely the animal was thrown from a moving vehicle on the highway. "It's terrible to think that anyone could point a gun at this innocent little dog and pull the trigger", said HSNI Executive Director Sybil Soukup, "it's worse to think that she may have been thrown from a moving vehicle."

The Humane Society has chosen the name "Hope" for the beagle. "Though her circumstances for coming to us are horrible", said Soukup, "it is a blessing that she was found by such a caring person like Todd and that he persevered on her behalf to help her in spite of the lack of help from the local authorities. He never gave up hope that he would eventually find someone that would help."

"I'm grateful that the Humane Society was there to help", said Todd, "and I'm confident that they will give Hope the second chance she deserves".

It is estimated that Hope's medical bills will be several thousand dollars, even though the veterinary clinic she was referred to, (Iowa Veterinary Specialties, in Des Moines) has agreed to perform the services for half the cost. "We don't budget for these kind of incidents", said Soukup, "but we just couldn't turn her away. We're hopeful the community will help us with her medical expenses so Hope can have the happy ending she deserves instead of the cruel hand she was dealt."

The Humane Society is asking for the public's help to pay for veterinarian expenses. Donors may send contributions to: Humane Society of North Iowa, Attn: "Hope", 2700 South Birch Drive, Mason City, IA 50401. The Humane Society of North Iowa also asks that anyone who has information about this incident to please contact the Floyd County Sheriffs Department at:
641-228-1821.

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