Dog dragged down road after being tied to car survives, thanks to PBSO deputy
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — It’s a miraculous story of survival.
A dog dragged down a Palm Beach County road for at least half a mile is now healing.
The veterinarian says the unidentified owner told them he had no idea it was happening, but miraculously, the 3-year-old mix dubbed “Destiny” is alive and well, though her vet bills are mounting.
Now, Destiny needs the community to come to her rescue.
Some might say Destiny has the will to survive; after two weeks of care and surgery, Destiny is showing great progress as she continues to heal.
Underneath her shirt and bandages, there are cuts, abrasions and bones that were once exposed.
“Underneath her bandages here, she’s got incisions with staples,” Dr. Steven Hansen said. “She’s made some remarkable progress as far as healing.”
Despite fractures, the pads on her paws wearing away and being dragged by the neck, Destiny came to the vet with her tail wagging.
Destiny's elderly owner says it was all an accident, according to Hansen. He said he tied her to the bumper of his truck so he could feed his other animals.
But when he went to pull away, he claims he forgot about her until about half a mile down the road when a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy spotted her. The deputy pulled the truck over and took her right to the vet.
“Had they not stopped her when they did and had they not gotten her here so that we could start intervening with IV antibiotics, supportive care, shock therapy and then eventually surgery, she probably would have passed away,” Hansen said.
But with all of that medical care, Destiny needed a rescue organization, and that’s where Salty Dog Paddle Rescue comes in.
“She has a will to live,” Samantha Dishman said. “She wants to live. She’s a strong dog so we wanted to help.”
Salty Dog rescues hundreds of dogs and has raised nearly a million dollars for their care.
“That’s what Salty Dog is,” Dishman said. “We raise awareness. We raise funds. We raise education.”
“She has an incredible will to live and we wanted to support her,” Hansen said.
Hansen says Destiny’s owner surrendered her because he couldn’t pay for the medical bills.
There’s also a possibility he could face charges, but right now, no word on what charges or what will happen to his other animals.
All of this is happening as Destiny’s vet bills continue to add up, which could be as much as $15,000.
If you’d like to help, you can go to the Salty Dog Paddle website or Facebook page.
Destiny is expected to make a full recovery and Hansen says she will need a foster or forever home in about a month’s time.
He also advises people who want to adopt Destiny to wait a month before calling.
