Cabela, the Florida dog rescued by police last week after she was shot and tied to railroad tracks with a train approaching, has been reunited with her owners, who have decided to give her up for adoption, the Tampa clinic that treated her said.
Tampa police found the dog tied with a belt to tracks in the Sulphur Springs area north of downtown last Wednesday. The 1- to 2-year-old female mixed breed had been shot in her neck above her right shoulder. Authorities stopped a train that was approaching as officers freed the dog, whom police nicknamed R&R, and rushed her to the clinic, where she was renamed Cabela.
Cabela lost a lot of blood, but she "came through surgery with flying colors," the Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service said. Veterinarians were even able to save her right foreleg, which they'd thought would have to be amputated. It will be six to eight weeks before it becomes clear whether she'll regain full use and motion, however.
The clinic said Cabela escaped from or was stolen from a couple's home about four months ago. The couple, who haven't been identified, visited her at the clinic over the weekend and "were able to touch and cuddle with Cabela" for the first time, it said. "After a long visit, they have made the decision to relinquish ownership and allow Cabela to be placed for adoption once her police hold is lifted," the clinic said.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit, asking anyone with information to call 813-231-6130. Crime Stoppers offered an extra $3,000.
The veterinary clinic said Cabela's treatment would cost several thousand dollars. It has set up a web page for donations and said any money raised above what was needed for Cabela would go to care for other rescued animals.
IN-DEPTH
- Cabela, Dog Rescued From Florida Railroad Tracks, Treated for Shock
- Dog Rescued After Being Shot, Tied to Railroad Tracks