Dog recovering after nearly being dragged to death in November

ST. LOUIS -- A dog who was dragged nearly to death on Interstate 55 while tied to a pickup continues to heal and has endured seven surgeries.

Staff at the Humane Society of Missouri named the pit bull puppy Trooper. He barely survived after being pulled for nearly a mile Nov. 21.

His injuries included exposed tissue and bones. One leg almost had to be amputated.

His most recent surgery was July 19. Dr. Travis Arndt of the Animal Medical Center of Mid-America performed the operation to repair Trooper's right knee.

The dog suffered from luxating patella, a painful condition common among dogs in which the kneecap moves out of its normal location, as well as a cranial cruciate ligament tear.

For the last several weeks, he has been in the care of Linda Campbell, the Humane Society's animal behavior manager.

Trooper lives with her and often comes to work with her, said Jeane Jae, spokeswoman for the Humane Society.

Before then, Trooper stayed at the Humane Society of Missouri's Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, where he moved in February.

Trooper has several weeks of recovery left and could be ready for adoption then, she said.

A possibility for a "great placement" for Trooper is in the works when he's ready, but Jae said she couldn't give details yet.

Medical care for Trooper has cost more than $50,000.

The Humane Society's webpage about Trooper gives updates on his progress, as does its "Team Trooper" Facebook page.

Victor Washington didn't see the dog tied to his truck's trailer hitch -- a claim backed up by a security video -- when he left for work. A driver on Interstate 55 began honking and gesturing for him to pull over.

Washington's ex-wife, Benetta Johnson, was found guilty in April of misdemeanor animal abuse in a bench trial.

She claimed she only tried to return the dog, who her family called "Vick," to her ex-husband, who had given the dog to her 5-year-old daughter.

In testimony, Johnson said she and her son had knocked at the door of Washington's home near Virginia Avenue and Interstate 55.

She told her son to put the dog in the bed of Washington's parked pickup, but the teen worried that the dog would jump out and get hurt or run away, so he opted to tie him to the trailer hitch.

After he told Johnson, they circled the block, waited, then drove away, leaving Vick in temperatures that dropped to the low 40s. The dog was already underweight and afflicted with intestinal parasites.

Johnson, of East St. Louis, was sentenced to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service. She also was banned from caring for or owning pets for the next two years and was ordered to donate $250 to the Humane Society and take an animal care class. If Johnson fails to meet terms of probation, she would have to serve one year in jail.

Trooper was believed to be 5 months old when he was dragged, so Humane Society staff estimate he turned 1 in June.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com