A pit bull is recovering after being shot and left to die on the side of the road.
On Tuesday morning, a woman was driving under the I-95 overpass when she saw a blanket moving on the side of the road. She pulled over and when she lifted the blanket she found a dog crying and unable to walk.
The woman rushed him to BARCS, where vets found that he had been shot. The dog, who BARCS staff named Charlie, was taken to a Franky Fund partner clinic for treatment.
"At that time they took x-rays of his leg and that's when we saw just how bad that injury was, completely shattering his bone in half," said Bailey Deacon, the director of communications with Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter, Inc (BARCS). "We don't want to try and amputate his leg, we want to try and keep it. It's a front leg, he's a big boy and he's really going to need that for walking."
On Friday, Charlie had reconstructive surgery. Large plates and bolts were placed in his leg to act as bone. Charlie will need weeks of crate rest and veterinarian visits every few days for three weeks. Doctors are hopeful he will recover.
The surgery cost several thousand dollars, according to BARCS. The Franky Fund helped cover the expenses. The fund is used for extreme medical cases.
"Ones that we aren't able to treat in house," said Deacon. "So, they go out to partnering clinics and then we have to pay the bills. When all is said and done, we're able to pay those bills with donations to the fund."
In 2016, the fund saved more than 700 animals and around 300 animals the year before. Donations to the Franky Fund also helped save "Miracle Molly," a dog that lost her leg after being run over by a train.
RELATED: Molly the dog reunited with Amtrak officer who rescued her
"She's doing well, so I hope that Charlie's going to be just like Molly in a short amount of time just running around the parks here in Baltimore City and completely healthy and absolutely loved and never have to be in the hands of someone who would harm him ever again," said Deacon.
And despite being injured at the hands of a human, Charlie does not shy away from physical contact.
“Immediately, already just forgave everybody and was ready to trust and I think that really speaks to just how important these animals are and why it's important to spend the money and save a dog like Charlie,” said Deacon.
BARCS is asking for donations to help Charlie. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call 3-1-1 or Baltimore City police. Callers can remain anonymous.
"We want to try and catch this person before it happens to another animal in our City." Deacon said.
If you'd like to contribute to the Franky Fund, click here.
