Local officials are seeking help in finding who mutilated a 9-month-old pit bull by cutting its ears off.
A $1,300 reward is being offered to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the aggravated animal cruelty, which can be prosecuted as a felony.
Colbert veterinarian Dr. Gloria Andrews said one of her clients in Hull had seen the dog in his yard. He took the pit bull to the Colbert Animal Hospital Tuesday, describing the 50-lb. dog as “friendly,” but saying that “something terrible had happened to its ears.”
“It was very apparent that someone had lopped his ears off,” said Andrews, who estimated that the wounds were seven to 10 days old.
Andrews said the dog, now named “Wilson,” was very submissive with a wagging tail when he was brought to the Colbert Animal Hospital.
“He has not been aggressive at all; he seems to get along with other dogs well,” said Andrews.
Andrews suspects that more than one person performed the crude operation on the dog.
“With this big, strong dog, it was not a lone operation,” said Andrews. “No one could have done this themselves. It just blew me away that someone would even attempt to do something like this on a dog this size.”
Andrews said the clipping of a dog’s ears is done by some when a dog is a very young puppy and before the ears are fully formed. The procedure, which is intended to make the dog look meaner, is not done on dogs whose ears are fully formed.
“My guess is that somebody got him from somebody else and they just decided to do it,” said Andrews. “If somebody had him as a puppy, they would have done it as a puppy. And even that’s horrendous thinking about it.”
She said the cutting of the dog’s ears was a terribly painful episode for the animal.
“You know darn well this poor boy had to be screaming his bloody head off,” said Andrews.
Andrews said prosecution of the person or people who cut the dog’s ears off is important.
“A lot of people are nauseated by this happening,” said Andrews. “But there are people out there who think this is acceptable. And we have to let them know that no, this is not acceptable. This is criminal.”
Andrews said Wilson is doing much better after surgery Wednesday.
“He acted like a new dog,” she said.
Andrews said the dog will be placed in a foster home until a permanent home is found.
Anyone with information about the dog’s mutilation is encouraged to call Madison County Animal Control at 706-795-5589.
Indeed. It is criminal. So is using your dogs to taunt the animals of others, eh Ms. Andrews?
I never cut BUT a couple of puppies ears BUT I docked a bunch of tails on Pits and Blue Healers?