SAVAGE, Minn. -- A brutal attack of on a family's pet pit bull has
puzzled authorities in this Twin Cities suburb, and left the dog's owner
wondering.
"Who? Why? What's the point?" Robert Cole told KARE Thursday, as his
four-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier named Cesar limped around the
back with his hind legs bandaged.
Cole's fiance, Amber Wade, called him in panic Wednesday to tell him
Cesar and their two other dogs had vanished from the back yard in
Savage. The gate had been pushed open, and a wooden block designed to
keep the smaller dog from escaping had been pushed by several feet.
The dogs resurfaced 15 minutes later in the couple's front driveway.
Cesar was bleeding profusely from his legs. At trail of bloody paw
prints leg from the driveway into the corner of the garage, where Cesar
took refuge.
Cole, a dog behavior trainer, had been out with a client at the time
Amber alerted him. He returned to find deep slash wounds in both of
Cesar's hind legs. Cole's father noticed something written in a green
marker on Cesar's back.
It read, "Back off, Bob."
Cole says he can't think of anyone who would be mad enough at him to harm Cesar, who is four-years-old
"For some reason, whether it's prejudice towards pit bulls or
somebody that's actually trying to say, 'Hey hey, ha ha, take that'!"
The other two dogs, a Black Labrador and a Chihuahua mix, were unharmed.
Midwest Animal Rescue & Services (MARS) reported the incident on its Facebook page, and Savage police and Animal Control confirm they are investigating.
Cesar is a familiar face at the Brooklyn Park non-profit foster-based
rescue center. His calming presence has helped nervous foster dogs
relax and learn to trust humans.
Joan Tabak, a spokesperson for MARS, said she believes Cesar was targeted because he is a pit bull.
"They're not dangerous animals," Tabak said. "And when people target these animals, this is what happens. It instills hate."
The staff at MARS encouraged Cole to bring Cesar into the agency's
affiliated veterinary clinic, and told him not to worry about the
medical bill.
Cole said that Cesar's vital signs -- his pulse and body temperature
-- fluctuated greatly until the doctor go the dog's body stabilized.
Cesar was then sent to an animal hospital for x-rays to check for broken
bones.
MARS issued a statement on its Facebook page. It reads:
MARS is taking a stand in this situation because we personally
know Cesar and his standing as an ambassador for his breed. He is a pit
bull. We have worked directly with him and he has assisted us in
rehabilitating dogs. We want to highlight this tragedy and the atrocity
of what a human can do to an animal so it does not happen again. He is
not a savage as a pit bull is portrayed so often in the media. However,
how this breed has been portrayed in the media perpetrates what was done
to him simply because of his breed.
A spokesman for the Savage Police says investigators are following
leads and are making good progress in finding the suspects responsible.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Savage Police at 952-882-2600.
KARE