Three OSU Students Rescue Abandoned Dog Tortured By Kids

A dog, abandoned by its owner, tortured and shot multiple times, has found a new temporary home after three Oklahoma State University students took him in.

Scruff has been wandering a neighborhood after his owners moved away, according to one of the girls.

"The people left and moved out, left him there. He's been tortured and shot with BB guns," said Mary'a Ewing. "All the kids in the neighborhood have been torturing him. Stoning him. And shooting him and just terrorizing him."

Ewing and her two friends took the pup in on Monday after hearing about the brutal treatment he has gone through recently. They took him to an area shelter, where they were told Scruff would be put down.

Not agreeing with that option, the three girls decided to seek out care at OSU's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Veterinarians there devised several options for Scruff, depending on how much the girls could pay.

Scruff has two pellets lodged in his shoulder. X-rays showed the remnants of a bullet that shattered his elbow and crippled his front left leg.

"While that's potentially repairable, sometimes financially it's not realistic and so the amputation becomes an option. Certainly a lot of animals do well with the amputation anyway," said Dr. Mark Rochat, Professor of Small Animal Surgery.

Dr. Rochat explained that Scruff could live a long, healthy life after taking care of his injury.

That is what Scruff's new caretakers' hope. They plan to place him in the home of someone who can properly care for him, since the three are all students.

"He's been so friendly, and sweet. He just lays around with us and tries to sit in our lap. He just wants some loving and attention," said Courtnee Morton, who is one of the students.

Learn more about how to help Scruff and make donations towards his surgery!