Left for Dead, Dog Recovers

CLEARLAKE, Calif. —  Veterinarians hoped to determine Thursday whether further treatment was necessary for a dog that walked away after being hit by a car, shot in the head and -- presumed dead -- tossed in a freezer last week.

“It’s amazing she doesn’t have lasting injuries,” Dr. Debra Sally of the Clearlake Veterinary Clinic told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “She is a miracle girl.” More X-rays were scheduled for Thursday before doctors decided whether to refer Dosha, a 10-month-old mixed breed, to the veterinary hospital at UC Davis for more treatment.

Dosha’s ordeal began April 15 when she escaped from her owner’s backyard and was hit by a car. The Clearlake police officer who reported to the scene shot the collarless dog when no one could tell him who owned her.

The dog was taken to the local animal shelter, where she was put in a freezer for disposal. About two hours later, the center’s interim director found Dosha standing upright in a plastic orange bag in the freezer.

Yvonne Scott, the clinic’s office manager, said the dog’s hypothermia was more life-threatening than the gunshot when she arrived. “The car accident was the least of her problems,” Scott said.

Local animal groups and the Humane Society of the United States have begun fund-raising efforts to pay for her care. Dosha, however, is not expected to suffer any long-term effects from the event, other than trouble with her right ear from the policeman’s bullet.

Clearlake’s police chief has defended the officer’s decision to shoot. The officer said he wanted to end Dosha’s suffering.