SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A bulldog suffering from serious injuries at a San Diego-area Indian Reservation is available to be adopted after being nursed back to health at the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Companion Animal Hospital.
According to Helen Woodward Animal Center (HWAC) officials, Petunia -- described as a sweet and talkative, 2.5-year-old bulldog -- “appeared to have been left outside after a medical treatment that required a cone. The cone, left on for weeks or even months, resulted in the gauze tie becoming so twisted and deeply embedded into the dog’s skin, that a deadly infection had taken hold.”
Dr. Olivia Garvey, of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Companion Animal Hospital, said, “This didn’t happen overnight. Based on the circumstances we could tell this wasn’t something that happened quickly, this was neglect. Medical staff would have told them when to remove the gauze and cone. [The owners] chose not to follow instructions and then waited way too long to seek medical help.”
Through HWAC’s Pets Without Walls program, staff met with Petunia’s owner to determine the best options for the dog’s care. Officials said the owner agreed to surrender Petunia to HWAC.
Petunia then underwent a complex surgical procedure that ultimately saved her life.
“Petunia’s cut was deep, all the way through multiple layers of skin down to raw areas – we could see the tendons of her neck, it was close to almost being decapitating. It was through her skin all the way around, but the deepest and most intrenched parts were the underside of her neck. Bulldogs are a breed with tougher, thicker skin than most dogs too. I believe that notion sheds even more light on the severity of the injury and extent of neglect,” Garvey said.
With Petunia recovering well from the procedure, HWAC officials said she is available to be adopted.
For more information, call 858-756-4117 or visit https://animalcenter.org.
