Puppies healing after having ears cut off
PALM HARBOR (FOX 13) - A pair of puppies found in Alabama with their ears cut completely off are now getting care in Florida thanks to agencies in both states, plus a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and his family.
The 4.5-month-old puppies -- now named Charming and Skeeter -- were found September 8 by an animal control officer in Chilton County, Alabama. Their ears were cut off down to their heads, according the county's Humane Society president, who added it was "the worst case of mutilation" she had ever seen.
Chilton County Humane Society President Katherine Reece said the pups' ears appeared to have been cut off with scissors.
"This was done by somebody who is a dog fighter, who wanted these dogs for bait dogs," Reece said in a statement. "They cut their ears off so that the fighting dog won't just grab their ears. They choke them until they are unconscious, and while they are passed out, they cut their ears off."
But on Tuesday, retired Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay, along with his wife Brandy and her mother, got in a plane and brought the pair of pups to Florida. Once in the care of Suncoast Animal League workers, they were taken to Enterprise Road Animal Hospital for medical attention.
Meanwhile in Alabama, Charming and Skeeter's story has gotten a lot of attention in the media. A reward of $1,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest.