Puppy love: Hundreds want to adopt beaten dog
HOLLYWOOD – He was stabbed 50 times, beaten and stuffed inside a suitcase — but now more than 600 people want to help Ollie, a pit bull mix rescued by police Tuesday.
Calls and donations are coming in from around the country, said Jan Milbyer, founder of the Grateful Paws Dog & Cat Rescue that is trying to find a foster home for the 50-pound dog.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” she said. “I’ve gotten calls from all over – Georgia, Indiana and Minnesota.”
Ollie underwent surgery Tuesday at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital. A second one was scheduled Wednesday to suture several wounds on his back, said Dr. Nicole Patterson, the vet overseeing Ollie’s care. He will likely spend another week at the hospital before he’ll be able to go to a foster home, she said.
Ollie, who is thought to be between one and two years old, has been a trouper through the whole ordeal, his caretakers say.
“His tail hasn’t stopped wagging,” Milbyer said.
A passer-by called police around 1 a.m. Tuesday after hearing cries coming from a blue suitcase behind an abandoned building at 1945 Lee St., said Miranda Grossman, spokeswoman for the Hollywood Police Department. One of the dog’s paws was sticking out of the suitcase. “He’s lucky the police got to him in time,” Patterson said.
Milbyer set up a GoFundMe page for Ollie and raised more than $25,000 in less than 24 hours.
“Animal lovers can’t understand why anyone would do this. It’s a helpless animal,” she said.
People interested in helping Ollie can email info@gratefulpaws.org or download an application from gratefulpaws.org.
If caught, the person who committed the crime could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Detectives urge anyone with information to call 954-967-4411 or contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS or browardcrimestoppers.org.