Mauled Dog Drags Herself Out From Under a Car to Plead Assistance From Passing Jogger

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A jogger in Atlanta, Georgia, returned to her car to find a mauled dog trembling beneath it. The jogger called animal control and an officer swiftly arrived to collect her. The dog’s demeanor, however, took both good Samaritans by surprise.

Rather than exhibiting aggression, the then-4-year-old, filth-covered, 19-pound (approx. 9-kilogram) dog dragged herself out from underneath the car and into the arms of her rescuers.

The dog had been attacked. Her visible injuries included a broken jaw, a split and shattered leg, and dried blood indicative of further and more concealed injuries.

The animal control officer didn’t have the heart to transport the dog in the back of his truck; he rode with her on his lap instead. New York City-based Second Chance Rescue (SCR), despite being overcrowded and underfunded, immediately expedited the injured creature into emergency veterinary care.

They named her Lilac. It was May of 2018.

SCR later took to Instagram to update their followers, writing, “Lilac was attacked by multiple dogs for what seems like days on end,” they explained. “Her gruesome injuries are beyond the scope of what animal control can [do] for her there.”

The rescue center quickly ascertained the extent of Lilac’s ordeal. “Lilac has endured suffering for a very long time,” they said. “She is filthy and the smell coming off of her is vile. These wounds are not brand-new and she is downright traumatized.”

Lilac’s veterinary inspection revealed that beyond her severely damaged leg and a broken jaw, the dog had also sustained serious abdominal trauma; she had a bullet lodged in her abdomen.

Both SCR and their online community were enraged to learn that the dog had been shot. The rescue center took action by advertising a $10,000 reward for any information leading to Lilac’s abuser before redirecting their energy toward the sweet dog’s long road to recovery.

Surgery was the only option, and Lilac faced two significant procedures. The first would repair her badly broken jaw but would necessitate removing teeth and cutting and replacing jaw bone. The second would be an entire left front leg amputation.

“We will see her through this, this is commitment,” SCR shared online.

On June 1, 2018, Lilac endured a complicated five-hour surgery. The medical staff removed the lodged bullet and reconstructed her jaw. As predicted, vets were unable to save her leg due to necrosis and sepsis.

Recovering in the ICU, Lilac initially refused to eat on her own. There was one function that was not impaired by surgery, however; Lilac would not stop wagging her tail.

Lilac was hand-fed by devoted aftercare staff and had a draining bag attached to assist the healing of her amputated front leg. SCR commended the dog’s fighting spirit in an update on Instagram. “We have been saving animals for almost 10 years,” they said, “and know one thing for certain, animals will give up when they want to. Obviously, she does not want to give up.”

Lilac was moved to SCR’s affiliate center, Barbie Dreamhouse Rehab, for further rehabilitation and life-saving heartworm treatment. She soon started to eat on her own, and, lovingly wrapped in a T-shirt to protect her healing scar, started to embrace life on three legs.

It became increasingly imperative to find a forever home for the dog that had survived against the odds. “She is so loving and beautiful,” the SCR team shared on Instagram. “She has endured a lifetime of pain and horror, yet she wants to love and give and connect.”

“She fought for a very long time to get to where she is today,” they continued. “She may have lost her leg, but she gained a family the size of the universe. We are so touched by the outpouring of support and unconditional love for Lilac.”

Lilac’s dedicated rescue team had pooled their already depleted resources, scrubbed the dirt from Lilac’s coat, removed the bullet from her body, and fed and rehabilitated her. All that was left was to find someone to offer her the life she truly deserved.

The team got their wish. About two months after Lilac dragged herself out from under a parked car to seek help, mauled, bleeding, and fighting for her life, she was adopted by a loving woman living in the very same state.

Hoping to reach as many loyal followers as possible, SCR took to their popular Instagram page to share the news. “Lilac is adopted!” they wrote. “Lilac will remain in Georgia and will go home this weekend. The entire medical team is buzzing with pure glee that they will continue to be the medical team responsible for her care should she ever need anything.”

The rescue team cited “divine intervention” for overseeing Lilac’s extraordinary recovery. “You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you, Lilac, and here you are,” they reflected.