Puppy vanished after being thrown from vehicle, NC shelter says. Then came good news
“Heartbreaking” video left an animal shelter “worried sick” about a puppy — then came good news, the North Carolina rescue organization said.
A camera reportedly captured the pup being thrown from the window of a vehicle, even though the PAWS Animal Shelter gate was open at the time. The shelter in a social media post shared what appeared to be stills from the video, including one showing an animal suspended in the air with its paws up.
“We wish the person that did this would have done the right thing and drove on through the gates so we could assist them rather than slinging this poor innocent dog out the window,” the shelter, located in the mountain town of Bryson City, wrote Sept. 8 on Facebook.
In the days that followed, the rescue organization left out food and used game cameras in their search for the missing dog. Then on Sept. 12, officials shared a heartwarming update.
The small dog, now named Apollo, was found safe and brought in to receive care, the shelter said.
“He’s malnourished, loaded down with fleas and parasites,” PAWS wrote on Facebook as it shared photos of the adorable pup. “Has some small abrasions and two small fractures but considering what he’s been through he’s doing awesome!”
The announcement left dozens of social media users happy about Apollo’s rescue. That might not come as a surprise, as the shelter said he seemed to have gained “a fan club” during his ordeal.
PAWS told WLOS it now plans to care for Apollo for a few months until he can go up for adoption. The shelter also said a suspect, who wasn’t identified in the news report, faces consequences tied to the video.
“I know that the magistrate did the two charges on him: abandonment of an animal and cruelty to animals,” Beth Cline, executive director of the shelter, told WLOS.
PAWS, located roughly 65 miles west of Asheville, didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Sept. 14.
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Puppy vanished after being thrown from vehicle, NC shelter says. Then came good news."
