This is an ugly story about a starving female Staffordshire Terrier found next to the body of a male that had been shot to death.
We get the story from Keri Lane, a independent rescuer in Jacksboro -- she's also a volunteer with the local shelter and Weimeramer Rescue of Texas.
I mention all those things so you'll know that Keri is someone who is accustomed to seeing and hearing stories about how rotten animals can be treated.
Still, there are some stories that will make a veteran's skin crawl from the demonstration of savage or sorry behavior.
I mean, geez, look at that picture. Is that not heartbreaking? Here's the story that Keri sent Tuesday evening and asked us to highlight it at Readlarrypowell.com. The incident occurred near Jacksboro, northwest of Fort Worth. Some of you readers will want to help.
"A female Staffordshire Terrier was found off a county road last night huddled up next to a dead dog (shot) - probably her mate," Keri says. "The person who found her called the sheriff's office and was told by someone there to take her back to where they found her and just leave her there. And yes, I am determined to find out who she talked to and have a chat with the powers that be. 
"They brought her in to the clinic this morning. She is starved almost to death....
"She is as skinny as Lucky, the pit bull from a couple of days ago. They were going to put her down but could not even hit a vein she was so dehydrated. They gave her subcutaneous (just under the skin) warm fluids and she has eaten a little food. She wags her tail at you and the sight of her breaks my heart.
"She is a light heartworm-positive and in heat.
"I know that she is a 'pit bull' but she has enough heart to have survived in the cold for God knows how long. The vet clinic has warm water bottles under her with thick blankets to get her body temp back up. She wagged her tail at me and just seemed relieved to being shown kindness, which I doubt she has ever known.
"The clinic cannot keep her long." (To offer a place for this dog or donations, e-mail Keri at [email protected].
On Wednesday, Willow, as she's been named, was up and walking and eating some and drinking "lots of water." Keri writes, "She probably had been abused because when you approach her, she hits the ground, but when you speak to her, she will crawl to you wagging her tail."
And why Willow? Because "the branches of a Willow tree will bend and not break and she has been bent a lot in her short life but is not broken."
A SECOND ITEM ABOUT MEAN TREATMENT OF DOGS: Our rescuing tipster Holly Elms sent us this note about an infamous dogfighter being arrested in a raid in Tucson. This isn't pretty, either, but I will suggest that the bad guys will look much better in a cage than the dogs will.
Click HERE to see the Arizona story. I know it's early in the investigation, but I would not be surprised to find a Texas connection. Sadly.
