DETROIT – An adorable puppy was the victim of a horrific and heartbreaking case of animal cruelty as it was burned with acid by its original owner in Metro Detroit.
The little dog’s name is Amira, and some big-hearted people and the use of new stem cell technology have saved her life.
“She is so sweet,” said Patricia Odette.
Odette’s tears were big as she gazed at Amira. It was her heart that was huge.
“I do see it all, but she’s more heartbreaking because she’s a puppy, and I know how much it burns because I have burns on my own body when I was a child, so I obviously can relate to this,” Odette said.
Amira is why Odette runs The Animal Resource Funding Foundation (ARFF). Donations made there and the skill and passion of Dr. Lucretia Greear at the Woodhaven Animal Hospital have saved Amira’s life.
“Her skin was completely burned off of her bones,” said Greear. “I’m the skin, the muscle, the bones, the tendons, ligaments all were exposed. And some of them were just completely disintegrated all by this acid.”
Amira had acid poured on her by her owner because she had a potty accident in her crate.
“Just watching her scream in pain, I’m sure it was tremendously painful, and leaving her in the kennel with children in the home to see this, to discipline the dog for having an accident.”
Amira was so badly hurt that putting her down was one option. Odette and Greear used new stem cell patches to grow the skin and fur back
along with four skin grafting surgeries and three surgeries to put her back together.
Amira is almost back.
“Sometimes, we have to look at each other and ask at what expense does this make sense,” Greear said. “And for her, she’s a puppy who had baby teeth. She was 12 weeks old when this happened. This was horrible as she had her whole life ahead of her and so in my mind I felt that if there’s a possibility and if there is something out here that we can try to give her her entire life, a good happy life and her quality of life, then it’s worth it.”
The original owner of Amira is not under arrest or facing any charges, as more investigative work has to be done. Authorities asked that the exact location where the abuse occurred be kept private amid the investigation.
Amira has another expensive surgery on Thursday (Nov. 9). The cost of the procedures so far is north of $15,000, which ARFF provided.