Couple Saves Pit Bull Shot In The Head Twice, Left For Dead
ST. JOSEPH, MO (CBS Local) - A pit bull is fighting for her life after someone shot the dog twice in the head and left her in the woods. Luckily, a Missouri couple's quick thinking and pleas for help on social media saved the dog before it was too late.
The Details:
- A female pit bull named Lagertha was shot twice in the head on April 26
- A Missouri family found the dog and saved her from bleeding to death
- A nearby animal clinic took the dog in after the family's pleas for help on Facebook
- Lagertha is recovering at an animal hospital in Kansas
According to reports, Robin Musser and Jacob Carter were mushroom hunting in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 26 when they heard gunshots nearby. The couple and Carter's father then spotted the female pit bull laying in the woods bleeding badly. Carter reportedly wrapped the wounded animal in his shirt to stop the blood loss and rushed to find help.
"I feel great that I did I what I did with my shirt and I'm glad that that helped the dog out majorly, and how it's still alive," Carter said, via News-PressNow.com. The family added that they took the dog home after local vets would not accept the pit bull without a large medical bill that the Carters couldn't pay.
A relative of the Carters put the story on Facebook and quickly received a response from a clinic in nearby Savannah, Missouri. The doctors at Angels Vet Express say the Carters undoubtedly saved the pit bull's life. "If they hadn't put something on there to stop the bleeding, the dog would have bled out," the clinic's co-founder Gary Silverglat explained.
The dog, which has been named Lagertha, was stabilized and transferred to BluePearl Veterinary Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas. Vets there say Lagertha has a long road to recovery after the bullets damaged her jaw, teeth, neck, and fractured her skull. "Taking her into the woods and shooting her, I don't know anything that would justify that," Danielle Reno with the non-profit Unleashed Pet Rescue told KCTV.
Lagertha's treatment is expected to cost "between $800 to $1,200 a day" but Unleashed Pet Rescue has already set up a Facebook page for the injured pit bull and is accepting donations for her care. "She isn't out of the woods yet, but anything is appreciated," Reno added.
A May 1 update from the non-profit added that Lagertha was able to walk on her own for the first since the shooting. The group has reportedly raised nearly $7,000 for her care and possible surgeries so far.
Police in St. Joseph are still looking for Lagertha's shooter and a local veterinarian has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.