‘How wonderful it is’: Dragged dog now on road to adoption

As strange as it may sound, a man dragging a dog behind his truck last month may have, in the long run, saved the dog’s life.

“It’s actually, as horrendous as it was, so lucky for him that he got away from this gentleman,” said Rita Burrows, a former Humane Society volunteer who picked the dog up from a northwest Georgia animal shelter and took him to a vet in Chattanooga, Tennessee the night of the incident. “Because of his heartworms and his whipworms, he would have been dead in a few years.”

Previously described as starved, scarred and bloodied, the German shepherd that was first taken to the Whitfield County, Georgia Animal Shelter and then later picked up by an Atlanta-based rescue group was found to have both heartworms and whipworms, which could have resulted in an early death.

“He really wasn’t being taken care of because a dog that is heartworm positive would die in a couple of years without heartworm treatment,” Burrows added.

Members of the Whitfield animal shelter began calling the dog Myles after realizing he would be with them for a while, said Tammy Wilkins, office assistant.

“Sometimes we put a name with a dog just because of their situation or looks and sometimes it just sticks,” said Wilkins. “It may seem cruel to some people, but that is how we remembered him.”

The name seems fitting given the journey Myles has been on.

“After all, he traveled miles to get to us,” Monica King, director of the Atlanta-based German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Georgia, said. “We are glad we can give him a second chance. Can’t believe what he has gone through.”

Members of the rescue group picked Myles up from the Whitfield animal shelter where he was taken after a Dalton, Georgia man tied him to the back of his truck on March 11 and dragged him down the road, according to law enforcement officials. The driver, Jesus Sandoval, was indicted on four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals late last month.

Burrows said she is thrilled to know Sandoval was indicted.

“A friend called me and asked if I had seen the newspaper article,” said Burrows. “When they said four indictments, I said, ‘Fantastic!’ Maybe this can be the start of people seeing if you don’t want an animal, do something with it; turn it into a shelter. Do that before doing something stupid like pulling it behind your pickup truck.”

The wounds Myles sustained, including abrasions to the bottom part of his paws and torn carpal pads on the top of his paws, were treated the night of the incident. He was also found to be underweight and had previous scars. In addition to heartworms and whipworms that must be cured before he can be adopted, the veterinarian also discovered Myles also had kennel cough.

King said, “His feet are doing better, the wounds are healing and he can walk.”

When asked about Myles’ weight, King assured he is gaining weight and is being well fed. She said Myles’ heartworm treatment can’t begin until he has recovered from the kennel cough.

“We will set up his treatment in a couple of weeks as he gets healthier,” she said. “Once he is treated, it will be a couple months before he recovers, then he can be adopted.”

The rescue group does not have a facility. It is a group of volunteers who provide foster homes for German shepherds in the Atlanta and north Georgia area where they can be cared for until they are adopted.

“That way, we know how they will do in a home situation,” said King.

Myles will stay with a foster family from the rescue group until he is healthy enough to be adopted.

When asked how she felt about Myles’ road to adoption, Burrows said, “You just can’t explain how wonderful it is.”

“To me, it is like taking a child out of an abusive home and putting them into a new adoptive home,” Burrows said. “People will say, ‘No, it’s not,’ but it is. They’re like children, they can’t make choices on their own, they can’t take care of themselves.”

Burrows said members from the rescue group told her “everybody there loves him.”

And it seems that people who have read or heard about his story want to open their hearts to Myles as well.

“We’ve already had lots of interest in him,” said King.

Myles shouldn’t have any long-term effects from his treatment and “he can live a normal, active life,” said King.

If you are interested in adopting Myles, contact the German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Georgia at gashepherd.org.

Standridge writes for the Dalton, Georgia Daily Citizen.