DETROIT – A dog found burned and chained near I-96 and Linsdale Street in Detroit is recovering after being rescued by a woman walking by and a local rescue.
The dog, now named Persephone, was discovered alone and severely injured late Monday (Aug. 4) night.
“She was tied with a heavy chain,” said Ivette Borjas, a nearby resident who first found the dog while driving by with her husband. She said when they got closer: “You could kind of see her skin kind of lifted and hurt.”
Borjas immediately began reaching out to local rescue organizations.
Rebel Dogs Detroit responded and rushed the young pit bull mix, believed to be about a year old, to a veterinarian.
“She went in for surgery and they removed all the necrotized tissue of the burn wound, which I mean, was significant, unfortunately,” said Juniper Fleming, Executive Director of Rebel Dogs Detroit.
The burns cover most of Persephone’s back and part of her head.
The graphic video showed pieces of her flesh hanging off her body.
The rescue believes the burns may have been from chemicals, or from someone pouring something onto her and lighting it.
“God forbid, maybe some type of lighting material was poured on her. Who knows, but it appears her skin somehow burned,” Fleming said.
Currently, it’s unclear who harmed Persephone and why. She was tied up in an area where she could be seen, however.
“I don’t know what happened to her. It was an accident, and they wanted her to be found, or maybe it was done on purpose, and maybe someone stepped in and wanted her to be found,” Fleming said.
Despite her injuries and trauma, Persephone is already showing signs of improvement.
“They’re so defenseless, they depend on us to take care of them,” Borjas said. “And she’s such a good girl. She was lying down with my older daughter next to the bed with her head on her arm.”
“She definitely wants to trust and wants affection,” Fleming said. “Which is always shocking for me when they want to take that risk with humans again after clearly something unimaginable happening.”
Anyone with information about what may have happened to Persephone is urged to contact Rebel Dogs Detroit or the police.
Donations toward her medical expenses can be made through the rescue’s website.