KAPOLEI (KHON2) — A disturbing case of animal cruelty in West Oahu, where a dog was shot and allegedly used as target practice. It comes just weeks after two puppies were found shot in the same area.
Honolulu Police have opened a criminal investigation into the animal abuse.
On Friday, KHON2 was at Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services shortly after Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson rescued a dog she named Bob from a homeless encampment in Kapolei.
She said a woman from the encampment has helped them bring animals out who have been abused.
She said Bob is about two years old. “Supposedly Bob has been used as target practice for somebody with a BB gun,” Dr. Dowdall-Garberson said. “Bob does have some new lesions here and he cannot see.”
Bob came from the same area as a puppy named Pretzel, who was brought in two days before with a spinal injury. An X-Ray found Pretzel had been shot in the spine.
“The reason this flagged us was because two and a half months ago from the same area a good Samaritan came in with a puppy who was shot in two locations in the spine unfortunately that dog was paralyzed,” Dr. Dowdall-Garberson said.
She said that dog had to be put down. On Friday, Pretzel underwent spinal surgery and they’ll find out in a few days whether she’ll be able to walk again.
Four more puppies were rescued from the same area and brought to Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services on Thursday. They’ll undergo treatment soon and all of them, including Bob, will need to find new homes.
Unfortunately, it will take some time for Bob as his initial X-Ray had disturbing results.
“He has at least 13 shots,” Dr. Dowdall-Garberson said as she was counting how many BB pellets were lodged inside Bob, including pellets in his eye socket, jaw, neck area, shoulder, back, spine and back leg.
“Its heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking,” she said. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to shoot an animal.”
The costs are mounting for those rescuing animals almost daily.
“We’re based on donations and the puppy we rescued we took to VERC for surgery today and that runs us over $10,000 to save that dogs life,” explained Dr. Karen Tyson, KAT Charities executive director.
Dr. Tyson is also a clinical psychologist who says parents need to educate their children about empathy.
“We do know there’s a correlation between animal cruelty and eventually that’s a stepping stone towards human cruelty as well,” she explained.
Both said stricter animal cruelty laws are needed and hope legislators increase animal cruelty laws next session.
If you’d like to help with Pretzel’s medical bills or adopt one of the puppies, click here.