Remember Aunt Edna's dog Dinky? Real life version . . .

[Recidivist 1]

Linky w/photo

 

Dog dragged 10 blocks behind trailer needs your help

 

By CASSE CARLING & DEREK SIMMONSEN

TCPalm.com

 

May 5, 2006, 10:05 AM EDT

 

FORT PIERCE -- Misty is lucky to be alive.

 

Dressing the 5-year-old black Labrador's wounds with antiseptic Thursday afternoon, veterinarian Dana Juillerat gestured to skinless patches that revealed bone on the dog's face, legs and feet where she sustained "severe road rash" after she was dragged 10 blocks along Orange Avenue behind her owner's vehicle Wednesday morning.

 

"I don't anticipate her dying. She wants to make it. ... Her body's working toward healing itself, too," said Juillerat, owner of Tri-County Animal Hospital.

 

Misty's owner, Killick Saintil, 51, of the 1100 block of Hemlock Circle, told law enforcement officials he forgot that the 45-pound dog was tied to a trailer behind his 2003 white Toyota Sienna. He then dragged the dog from the 1000 block of North 33rd Street to Orange Avenue around 9:30 a.m., according to reports.

 

Saintil untied Misty on Orange Avenue and left, but returned to take the dog to a veterinary clinic, according to a witness. He reportedly told clinic workers he could not pay for her treatment.

 

Animal Control officers took Misty to the Humane Society of St. Lucie County, which transferred her Tri-County Animal Hospital, reports said.

 

Saintil was issued a notice to appear in court June 13 for animal cruelty, several traffic citations and two code violations for animal care and restraint.

 

Police are interviewing witnesses and will present the case to the State Attorney's Office, which will decide whether Saintil will face felony charges of animal cruelty, police spokeswoman Audria Moore said.

 

Saintil is devastated by what happened, according to his wife, Romene.

 

"He can't take it," she said Thursday. "He feels like someone's dead in the family."

 

If they could afford Misty's treatment, they would have paid, she said.

 

"The dog is a baby to us, to our children," Romene Saintil said, choking up over the phone.

 

The family has no other pets.

 

Court records show Killick Saintil was cited by animal control in June 2002 for an animal care violation and paid a $75 fine. The violation was for letting the dog run without a leash, according to Romene Saintil.

 

Misty likely will live at the animal hospital for five weeks, Juillerat said. She is on a morphine drip to relieve pain. Several officials at the clinic soothed the whimpering dog as Juillerat applied a burn ointment.

 

Treatment will consist of dressing Misty's wounds two or three times a day, bathing and feeding. Each session takes two hours, he said.

 

"There's a lot of care involved. We're trying to keep the bill as low as we can but treat her as humanely as possible," Juillerat said.

 

The Humane Society established Misty's Fund to help defray medical costs, which could surmount $5,000 for five to six skin-grafting procedures, spokesman Mike Winikoff said.

 

Donations reached about $1,200 Thursday afternoon, between hospital and shelter collections, he said.

 

Tri-County's staff is steadfast about Misty's recovery.

 

"We'll take care of her," manager Carly Pye said.

 

-- casse.carling@scripps.com derek.simmonsen@scripps.com

 

HOW TO HELP

 

Donations to Misty's Fund can be by:

 

Mail: Humane Society of St. Lucie County, P.O. Box 3661, Fort Pierce, FL 34948.

 

Phone: (772) 461-0687, Ext. 226.

 

Online: www.hsslc.org

[thetxstang 0]

Break out the checkbook, you cheap bastages!!

 

[D_House 0]

[Franknbeans 46]

at least it wasn't beaten with a rake

[Riddlen 1]

I'm out. I dont give money to animals. turns out puttin to sleep is like $5. someone oughtta be able to come up with that,