After a tough road for the deaf adult boxer-mix, the dog dubbed Lucky is finally going home.
11Alive’s cameras were there when Justine Stinnett and her family greeted Lucky Thursday at Woodland Animal Hospital in Locust Grove to take him home.
Earlier this week, Lucky and another dog named Simson, were rescued by Justine Stinnett after the pet sitter who was supposed to care for the dogs allegedly moved away and left them to starve.
Stinnett said she left Lucky with the sitter, who 11Alive is not naming because she has not yet been charged, as a healthy 50-lb dog. When she went to rescue him, he had whittled away to a mere 30-or-so pounds.
PHOTOS | ‘Lucky’ dog rescued after severe neglect
Veterinarian staff have been nursing Lucky and Simson back to health since, and Thursday, it was Lucky’s turn to go home.
“It’s great to see him looking like a dog again,” Justine Stinnett told 11Alive. “He’s wagging his tail. He’s alert and looking around. He’s happy.”
Since he began care, Lucky has gained about 2 and a half pounds back. Doctors though his chances of survival were about 50-50, but since they didn’t find anything else out of the ordinary, they’re allowing him to return home.
RAW VIDEO | Lucky the dog goes home
Lucky still has a long road ahead of slow and steady weight gain before he’s back to normal size, but staff said they’re optimistic about a full recovery.
“The fact that he’s made this remarkable recovery so quickly is a testament to his demeanor and his will to survive,” said Dr. Jamie Bishop with the hospital.
Bishop called the case of abuse the worst she’s ever witnessed in her 12 years in the field, but she said she was encouraged and thankful for the way the community has rallied around Lucky.
“(We’re) Happy that he’s going home, and pleased with his progress,” she said.
Meanwhile, authorities with Cobb County Animal Control are still investigating the alleged abuse. On Wednesday, they secured warrants to search the pet sitter’s home. They have not yet made an arrest.
But for Stinnett, just being able to take Lucky home, alive, is what’s most important.
“It’s been a rollercoaster and this is definitely a high point,” she said. “To get him out of the hospital and know that he’s OK. He’s still got a recover, but he’s doing so much better.”
As for the investigation, “We just have to be patient and let them do that they gotta do,” she said. “I have faith in them I know that they’ll give him justice.”
Stinnett is still trying to raise money for Lucky’s vet expenses. For more, visit https://www.youcaring.com/lucky-718828.
