He Was Shot, Tied To A Bridge And His Mouth Was Taped Shut...But He Refuses To Give Up

The Pup Was On The Brink Of Death

Bear, a Labrador mix, was found tied to an old bridge and almost dead on April 20. He had been shot, his mouth was taped and his leash was so tightly tied to the bridge, his paws barely touched the ground.

 

Transferred To The University Of Illinois

Mark Gillespie made the horrible find while walkiing his own dog. He called 911 for help and they were just as horrified as he was when they arrived. The pup was immediately taken to a local facility for urgent care, and once donations to a GoFundMe campaign started rolling in, they were able to transfer him to the veterinary clinic at University of Illinois for special treatment.

Go Fund Me Update

"We talked to the specialists today and they decided that Bear's jaw is broken in so many places that a surgery will not be able to fix it, but the good news is that if we give him time it may heal on its own. His jaw will never be back to how it was before and he might never be able to eat hard dog food again but he should be able to heal and enjoy wet dog food. Bear will need a feeding tube in the mean time to allow his mouth to heal and he will also be having work done to a hole in his leg most likely due to a previous injury. His thyroid levels were so low this afternoon he was not able to have surgery but he has started medication to get those levels back to normal so they can get the procedure done as soon as they can. Bear does liven up a little when he gets to go outside so he is showing small improvements everyday. Again thank you to everyone for all of your support Bear and I really appreciate it."
Fortunately for Bear, many people have offered to adopt him as soon as he leaves the clinic.

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This common weed could kill your dog or cat, warns top animal charity

The "deadly" weed can become lodged in your animal’s skin, feet, nose, mouth, ears, or genitals

This video reveals a stark warning to pet owners as a top animal charity advises that a common weed could kill your dog or cat. The footage released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reveals that foxtail grass has proved deadly.

And it highlights that dog walkers need to take care when out with their pets. A foxtail is a 'spikelet' that carries a foxtail grass seed. The weed is common across the world. According to the charity, the weed can lodge in your animal’s skin, feet, nose, mouth, ears, or genitals. They say the spikelet has a sharp tip so it can drill into the ground to germinate and can also burrow into a cat or dog's body.

It can travel to the brain or internal organs, causing pain, infection, abscesses, perforated lungs, and even death.


Although long-haired dogs are at a higher risk of foxtails, short-haired dogs with open, upright ears are also especially vulnerable, as the barbs can sail directly into the ear canal.

Mimi Bekhechi, director at PETA UK told Mirror.co.uk: "Foxtail can get lodged between dogs' toes or stuck in their eyes or ears, and if it becomes embedded, it can cause severe infections.

"Foxtail can also get into their lungs, spine, or other internal organs, and some cases may be fatal.

"Guardians can protect their animal companions by keeping them away from overgrown, scrubby areas and sticking to roads and wooded areas, as opposed to meadows, where foxtail grasses grow, when out for a walk."

What should you do if you find foxtail on your animal? 

If you find a foxtail in an animal’s fur, you can carefully remove it with tweezers if it’s in any way lodged in the skin or you suspect that it has entered the animal’s body, call your vet immediately.

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