Pit bull shot in Eighty Four; humane society investigating
Chance, named after volunteers found the presumed pit bull mix shot in Eighty Four, is recovering at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in Morgantown.
Facing a hefty veterinary bill, as well as costs of care and foster home placement, volunteers are seeking donations to help Chance.
Editor’s note: A correction was made to this article that corrects the phone number for Cheat Lake Animal Hospital. The number listed below is the correct one.
Volunteers who dropped everything Tuesday to rush a 3-year-old pit bull found wounded by a gunshot to an area veterinarian just wanted to give him a chance. So that’s what they named him.
Chance is now recovering at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., after Celina McDaid of Eighty Four found the male dog in a field across from her home in the 200 block of Somerset Drive.
“We weren’t getting calls back from Animal Rescue League or the (Washington Area) Humane Society at around 6 in the morning, so we called the Guardians of the Lost, a volunteer group out of Pittsburgh. Tara Galati and Dee Ryan showed up, along with state police and animal control officer Gina Secreet. They helped move him over into the shade. He was barely moving and there was blood everywhere,” McDaid said. The trio then drove him to the animal hospital for trauma care.
Veterinarians initially didn’t think Chance had a chance, but more than 48 hours later, vets said he’s gone from a grim prognosis to having a good possibility of survival. But vets said he would likely suffer from neurological damage. He was walking gingerly Thursday before resting again following the severe trauma.
Humane society officials said they are investigating the incident.
“We believe he we was dumped and shot and left for dead, probably overnight Tuesday. There were tire tracks in the grass that showed someone probably backed up, dropped him and turned around,” McDaid said.
After Galati footed a nearly $3,000 vet bill, volunteers are asking for donations directly to the animal hospital to help take care of Chance for eventual foster care.
“We’re not doing GoFundMe or any crowdsourcing. We want every dollar to go directly to the vets,” Galati said. Donations can be made in the name of Chance Galati. The hospital can be reached at 304-594-1124.
Cheat Lake administrators said Thursday donations were received totaling about $1,000.