While there is a lot of responsibility that goes along with owning a dog, it is above all else a privilege. Sure, they may be a lot of effort, but if you're lucky enough to share your life with one of these sweet angels, you need to make sure you do everything in your power to keep them safe.
18-year-old Harley Mobley was lucky enough to own a beautiful dog, but instead of taking care of her and loving her like he was supposed to, he did the unthinkable and tried to kill her because he didn't "have time."
Mobley has been charged with felony animal abuse after he allegedly shot his dog directly in the face.
The heartless act was carried out when he claimed that Gloria was starting to show symptoms of rabies, but instead of taking his dog to the vet, he decided he would end her life with a bullet to the face.
The affidavit obtained by the Saline County Sheriff's Office revealed that Mobley had said he would rather kill the dog than get it help because he "didn't have no time for the vet that morning [sic]."
After shooting his dog, he dropped her on the side of the road, but this brave girl wasn't going to give up.
Miraculously she was able to survive, and luckily someone saw her laying on the side of the road. They quickly brought her to a vet who transferred her to the Unleashed Pet Rescue to get the help she desperately needed.
Her life was in their hands and they worked quickly to tend to the wounded dog. The rescue gave the sweet girl a new name, Gloria, so she wouldn't be reminded of the life she used to live. The vets were able to piece together what happened once they did the x-rays.
"Her X-rays show she was shot, in the face, point blank, with a shot gun. She ran up to the person who shot her. She trusted them," the organization wrote on their Facebook. "The pellet spray went through one side of her face to the other. She also has some in her abdomen. There's a gaping hole in the side of her face that you can see her teeth through."
They suspected that it had been over a week from the time of her injury to the time she was in veterinary care as the tissue on her face had started to rot.
But they took care of her as they cleaned out her wound in preparation for surgery, and were completely stunned by how sweet this dog still was.
"They cleaned the wound as best they could with her being awake but she cannot have surgery until Tuesday when the two specialists are back to tag team it," they continued. "But guess what, Gloria is in good spirits still!! She's eating and drinking and even giving stinky kisses!!!!!"
Gloria received her surgery and the rescue organization shared an update, showing the groggy pup using her new toy as a pillow while she rested post-op.
The sweet girl's face was swollen and stitched up, but after a couple of days she was released to a foster home.
Around that same time, the police were finally able to figure out who had committed this horrific act of violence, and put out a warrant for his arrest. Mobley was arrested shortly after, and was charged with felony-animal abuse.
But now that he's captured, the rescue can focus on the recovery of sweet little Gloria, as that's what matters most right now.
Gloria received all kinds of well-wishes from people all over the country, and her foster family was happy to read them to her so she knows just how much she is loved. She wasn't going to have to be afraid anymore, and over the next few days she started to recover.
Her swelling went down and while her stitches are still visible, they've healed up quite a bit. While she may need some follow-up surgeries to make sure everything heals properly, at least Gloria is now safe.
Unleashed Pet Rescue has given this girl a fighting chance at life, and while it's horrifying that someone could do this to their dog, it's good to know that there are people out there who will help.
Obviously if you're a dog owner you know that if your dog starts experiencing any kind of weird symptoms you need to prioritize their health and get them to a vet as soon as possible.
It's incredibly important to keep up-to-date with your dog's vaccines, especially rabies, as the virus can be deadly to your pet. Mobley claimed his dog was exhibiting signs of rabies, but the vets and rescue have not mentioned any traces of the disease.
Just in case you don't know what to look for when it comes to rabies, these are the most common symptoms:
- Fever
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Hydrophobia
- Dropped jaw
- Inability to swallow
- Change in bark tone
- Lack of coordination
- Unusual aggression or shyness
- Change in attitude
- Excessive or frothy saliva
It's never acceptable to do what this man did, but if your dog's condition gets to a point where you can no longer take care of them, do the right thing and turn them over to a shelter or rescue. They would rather have you turn in a dog directly than find them abandoned in the streets.
Glad to see that Gloria is safe, but she still has a long road to recovery ahead. If you want to keep up with her progress, you can follow her story here, and if you want to help out, you can donate to the rescue here.
Source - PetMD / People/ Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption
