A four-year-old dog named Eli is recovering in Estero after rescuers said he suffered severe injuries to his head, ears, and leg.
Eli has had two surgeries at Pets First Wellness Center to fix the damage rescuers believe was intentionally done.
"He has a long way to emotionally understanding that he is safe," Victoria Frazier of Love is Fur Ever Dog Rescue said.
Frazier rescued Eli from Miami-Dade County after she received an urgent request email, and wanted to save his life.,
He's having a hard time trusting humans, and his injuries explain why.
"The large facial wound was deep and down to the skull, which penetrated through all the muscle," Dr. Thomas Jackson, his vet, said. "The ear was hanging off up to about a middle of the way through."
Eli also had a deep cut on his leg all the way through to his muscles, and scars on his head and back.
"This boy was a victim of some type of abuse," Dr. Jackson said.
Dr. Jackson stiched up Eli's head and ear and put a drain in his leg. He believes the three-to-four-year-old Beagle-Coonhound mix was likely hurt with a blade.
"Nothing cuts that clean but a knife or sharp object," he said.
But it's Eli's emotional wounds that run deeper.
"We can't really touch his paws or his ears or his head. He doesn't like his tail touched. We've got some work to do with him, but he's definitely got some emotional issues going on," Frazier said.
Frazier said they'll do whatever it takes to let Eli know he is safe.
Love is Fur Ever typically rescues locally, but Eli's case was an urgent request.
For more information on adopting Eli or how you can donate:
- Call Pets First Wellness Center at (239) 221-8356 and make a donation in Eli's name
- Visit the Love is Fur Ever website
