PUUNENE >> Cats aren’t the only animals with nine lives, it seems.
The Maui Humane Society says an 11-month-old pup has made an amazing recovery after likely being hit by a car and shot in the head seven weeks ago.
The lanky, black female dog, which shelter staff named She-Ra after the superhero, appeared June 5 in Steven Kanada’s yard. The 73-year-old retired schoolteacher wrapped the injured dog up and brought her to the Humane Society, where intake personnel noted she had a hole in her head and a large open wound on her jaw, and was bleeding from injuries consistent with road rash.
Dr. Jennifer Fitzpatrick, the on-call veterinarian, rushed to the shelter to treat She-Ra, and was surprised that X-rays revealed bullets fragments in the dog’s head. She determined the bullet entered through the canine’s temple, chipped her cheekbone, traveled through the roof of her mouth and was lodged in her shattered jaw.
“We suspect that she was hit by a car and received injuries to her leg,” Fitzpatrick said. “And we can only think that someone with the best intentions, however misguided, tried to ‘euthanize’ her by shooting her in the head. Unfortunately, this greatly added to her suffering and could have ended the life of a dog with a very treatable injury.”
After Humane Society veterinarians pinned She-Ra’s jawbone together and removed shattered teeth, the staff blended special meals for her and trained her to how walk on a leash and play with other dogs.
“Despite being in severe pain, the dog maintained an incredibly sweet and loving disposition,” the agency said in a news release.
She-Ra is currently in foster care and is “now ready for her forever home where she will continue to inspire others with her incredible story of hope and determination,” the release said.
