Dog Recovering After Being Left For Dead In Campground
GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) - He was left whimpering in pain for days left for dead until an angel in a forest found him and decided she had to save him.
Frankie is full of life now after his was nearly taken away. It was a story so unbelievably heartbreaking for Robin Palmer she had to help by fostering him until he's fully healed.
This is a case of abuse and neglect so severe it even had the veterinarian in tears. Frankie's CT scan showed up to 12 BB gun pellets in his face and a gaping hole of about 3 inches in his jawbone.
"He likes people," Robin said Monday. "I don't know why this happened to him."
"It's like your worst nightmare," said Grass Valley-based Scooter's Pals founder Susan Wallace, who places "last-chance" animals in foster homes until they are adopted.
A family wanted Frankie, a cute terrier, seven months ago. Susan double-checked references and their background seemed safe. But a couple weeks back, Frankie was found bloodied and barely alive at Sugar Pine Reservoir in Foresthill.
"It's distressing for us," she said. "They are the most vulnerable because they are completely dependant on us."
A Bay Area camper came across Frankie tied to a tree. He was shot and beaten.
"Our little boy is just jacked, but he will survive," Robin said.
Frankie's a fighter but recovery won't be easy.
"He would really like to go for a long walk but he can't yet," Robin said.
UC Davis put a stint on his face and a cast on his leg.
"He had many different broken bones and fractures on his leg," she said.
They will also reconstruct his jaw.
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"He's feeling so much better with antibiotics now," Robin said.
The life-saving surgeries and care cost more than $6,000.
People are dropping of cash, making online donations and dropping off dog food to Scooter's Pals, so although Frankie was badly mistreated, he is gaining the love of hundreds of others.
Scooter's Pals still needs a couple thousand dollars more to cover the cost of surgery, which is scheduled for the end of the month.
