Dog dragged, beaten in Detroit on the mend after surgery

The Detroit News

Justice, the dog that was dragged unconscious through the streets of Detroit allegedly by his owner and then beaten with a bicycle, is healing after having surgery to remove several tumors.

The dog may need further surgeries after what is believed to be a bullet that was found lodged in his side, said the head of the dog rescue group that saved the animal.

"He's doing a lot better," Theresa Sumpter, the founder and director of Detroit Pit Crew dog rescue, said Friday. Sumpter's group rescued Justice late last month following a tip by neighbors, who say they witnessed the animal being abused in the southwest Detroit neighborhood of Beard and Lafayette.

Justice was reportedly dragged to unconsciousness through the southwest Detroit neighborhood by a man and then beaten with the bicycle the man was riding while dragging the dog.

Justice is a German-shepard-mix and believed to be around 8 years old. He had surgery Tuesday to remove five tumors, some fatty and some that were sent out for further testing to make sure they are not cancerous.

A piece of metal was found on the left side of Justice and is believed to be a bullet. Sumpter said she is not certain if it could cause problems for the canine later and may need to be removed.

There has been an outpouring of interest in adopting Justice, Sumpter said.

"We've had hundreds of people calling (about adopting Justice)," Sumpter said. "We're very excited because he's a senior citizen and they are hard to place."

Although there is a lot of interest in Justice, he's not ready to be adopted yet, said Sumpter. He's still recovering from his surgery and the Detroit Pit Crew also wants to get his lab tests back from the biopsy on his tumors to see if some of them are cancerous.

Justice also is still being held as evidence in the case of the two men, who were arrested in connection with the incident. Sumpter said the two men were released and no charges have yet been filed pending an investigation.

Sumpter said Justice was the appropriate name for the aged dog. "I named him (Justice) because we want justice in this case."

bwilliams@detroitnews.com

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