Pit Bull dragged behind car, treated with alcohol

A pit bull in Tennessee suffered serious injuries when he was dragged for more than a mile behind his owner's vehicle.

The dog was adopted from a pit bull rescue group in March. The new owners were reticent to maintain communication with the rescue group. When the rescue agency finally got in touch with the owners, they were told the dog had suffered minor injuries when he leaped out of the window of the vehicle. Through some investigation, the truth emerged.

Apparently, the owner was washing his car when a family emergency came up. He "forgot" that he had tied his dog up to the bumper of the car. After being run over, the dog was dragged for more than a mile. Instead of taking the dog to a vet, the owners used rubbing alcohol to clean the wounds - big, gaping, serious wounds. For 18 days, this dog received no treatment, except alcohol.

After being reclaimed by the rescue, the dog is now at a vet clinic where he may need skin grafts. The picture shows a dog with some serious wounds...some of that scarring could so easily have been prevented had the dog gone to the vet.

I understand not being able to afford things. I am, by no means, rich. I work for a nonprofit and do my best to be fiscally responsible. I always have between 500-1,000 for veterinary expenses. No, I don't have kids or a mortgage - I have rent, food, car payments and two dogs to worry about. It is unfathomable to think of leaving my dogs in that condition (I would not have run them over to begin with, of course). Maybe I would have taken out a loan, or tried care credit, or asked a vet for a payment plan or signed up for a low-interest credit card...but I would have done something. That's just the right thing to do for a creature who relies solely on our beneficence to get along in this world.

The kicker is that, after the dog was taken to a vet, after spending 18 days without medical treatment, the owners paid $500 to help offset the costs. Why didn't they do that in the beginning? Even $500 would have gone a long way in the beginning to prevent what looks like a painful recovery process. Poor dog. I certainly wish him a full recovery and a more ideal home.