DETROIT – A dog that was hit by a car and abandoned by its owner in a park on the city’s west side was rescued by a group called Rebel Dog’s Detroit.
Rebel Dogs Detroit says the dog will be okay, but this is part of a bigger problem they see in the city.
Local 4 went to O’hair Park, where, if you look around on a Wednesday (Dec. 6) afternoon, not many people are out there, but earlier this week, it was the area where Nipsey Blue was found tied to a tree with a bloodied leg and a note.
“They had called animal control, they had called multiple other rescue organizations, and no one had come out to help the dog,” said Executive Director Juniper Fleming of Rebel Dogs Detroit.
The handwritten note on Nipsey Blue’s collar explained his age, breed, name, and how he was owned and loved.
“But that they were unable to take care of his medical needs once he was hit by a car, so they abandoned him in the park in hopes, as it said in the note, of him finding help,” Fleming said.
Because of the multiple fractures and nerve damage in his leg, he will need to get it amputated.
Rebel Dogs Detroit believes the incident sheds light on a bigger problem in Detroit, as there is no safe way for people to surrender a dog.
“A lot of pet owners, we are told over and over again, feel up against a wall and feel they have no other choice but to abandon their dogs in moments like that, so I think that it really showcases the larger issue that the city’s government should be tackling,” Fleming said.
Local 4 contacted the city for some answers, and we got Crystal Perkins, the Director of the General Services Department in Detroit to give a response.
“Just to leave a dog in the park that’s already injured, it’s a little on the cruel side to me,” said Perkins.
Perkins says Animal Control didn’t receive a call about the incident but encouraged people not to just abandon their dogs.
“Families can always surrender their dogs to the Michigan Humane Society or Michigan Anti Cruelty,” Perkins said. “If they call us, we will recommend those two places.”
Rebel Dogs Detroit argued Perkins’s point as they said that’s not the answer.
In the meantime, there is work being done for a new Detroit animal control shelter so they can take on more dogs. The current one was only made to hold 84 dogs.
“Typically, we have over 150 dogs, but in this facility, we would be able to shelter 216 dogs,” Perkins said.
The new shelter should be finished by April 2024.
Rebel Dogs Detroit says if you really want to help abandoned dogs, volunteer to be a foster for a rescue near you. They’re also collecting funds for Nipsey Blue, now known as Luxe’s Surgery.
