Warning: This article contains images that some viewers may find disturbing.
It was an upset citizen who alerted the Michigan Humane Society to the presence of a mutilated Rottweiler roaming their neighborhood. And it's no surprise: the dog's wounds were utterly gruesome. His ears, nose, and tail had all been gauged off, his paws had been lacerated with deep cuts. Whoever attacked him had done a psychopathically cruel job of it.
Baron, as he was called, was taken to the shelter to be cared for but the vets were simply aghast at the degree of the violence he'd suffered.
He would obviously require surgery to repair and protect his respiratory system, but also extensive rest to begin recovering from the sheer trauma.
The procedure took well over two hours as animal doctors worked on his nose and sutured the remains of his tail.
Step by step, he began to recover, gaining weight and sleeping. The organization was determined not simply to nurse Baron back to health, as far as was possible, but to take action against the extraordinary act of deliberate violence against an animal.
"This kind of cruelty is unacceptable, we need to be a voice for these animals and as a community we need to speak through our strong actions to make sure this doesn’t happen again," his caretakers declared in a public statement.
The Society offered $2,500 for help on the case, hoping to elicit information about the perpetrator(s). Support poured in from local citizens who were touched by Baron’s suffering. A fundraising campaign was immensely successful, collecting a total of $40,000 and bringing the case broad media attention.
Among the people who heard about Baron were Laura and Todd, who decided almost instantly that they needed to adopt him.
When they first turned up at the Humane Society to meet Baron, his reaction was totally adorable — such a feat of good character for a creature so abused and injured.
He was immediately curious and affectionate with them, perhaps sensing that he was now in safe hands. As Todd described it, "Baron's behavior this morning, when we met for the first time, showed that he also chose us."
Check out this video to learn more about Baron's story:
The butcher who committed this act of brutality hasn't been caught yet, but the outpouring of sympathy and help shows how many people are looking out for these vulnerable animals.
Congratulations to the Michigan Humane Society for doing such an outstanding job taking care of Baron and working to ensure that no other animal has to suffer such a nightmare!
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