Woman Shocked to See Scared Dog Near River With 13lb Anchor Tied to His Neck

Photo courtesy of VšĮ "Vyšnių sodas"

It seems every day, animal welfare advocates have to post a new story about a dog or cat that’s been terribly mistreated and needs support to recover. But while abandonment is one thing, unfortunately, human cruelty can go much further, as a story from Lithuania relayed last summer.

Local woman Audra Petraškienė was driving along a road near her home when she saw a truly shocking sight. There by the side of the road was a dog, soaked to the bone, with a heavy metal box tied around its neck. The device, which functioned as an anchor, weighed almost 6 kilograms (approx. 13 pounds) according to the animal shelter Vyšnių sodas, based in the capital Vilnius.

She didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what was going on.

Petraškienė immediately understood that a cruel monster had tried to make sure that the dog would never return after throwing him in the river. Somehow, the upset and distraught pooch had managed to avoid the fate his vicious captor had in store for him.

Her daughter Andra told The Dodo, “the dog was scared and shaking as well,” obviously terrified that her mom, Audra, might just be another human who wanted to kill him. As Audra Petraškienė told Bored Panda, “I was shocked. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.”

Photo courtesy of VšĮ "Vyšnių sodas"

Petraškienė was so touched by the plight of this poor dog that she felt she needed to do something right away. She first took the dog to her house to give it some TLC, and most importantly clean it and dry it, as it could get hypothermia after being in the freezing-cold river.

Both mom and daughter were impressed by how well the dog was managing after its brush with death. Daughter Andra told The Dodo, “he’s a real fighter.” After showing the dog some love, they took him to the vet to be examined for injuries.

Other than having been exposed to the cold waters of the river and having the horrible anchor-like contraption tied around his neck, the dog appeared to be quite healthy. A miracle, all things considered.

Photo courtesy of VšĮ "Vyšnių sodas"

But what was Audra Petraškienė to do after taking the dog to the vet? After all, it seemed that the original owner had abandoned their dog to a cruel fate. Could this person even be trusted?

She first contacted the police to make sure they were on the lookout for the person who might have been responsible for the heinous deed. After her post went all over the internet, a man claiming to be the owner of the dog got in touch with her. “The owner seemed like a good person. I am sure that he loves the dog,” she said to Bored Panda.

Petraškienė took the dog to an animal shelter, Vyšnių sodas, where it received treatment, sterilization, and was micro-chipped in accordance with EU law. As the shelter posted, the origin of the horrible deed appears to be “revenge of a cruel neighbor,” though they assured concerned readers that “we need to make sure that the puppy is safe until the real truth comes out.”

As her daughter Andra said to The Dodo, the whole story had her proud of her mom: “She loves animals and always takes care of them.” She assured people that no matter what happened next, her mother would be on the dog’s side. “She will definitely do what’s best for this dog.”

Photo courtesy of VšĮ "Vyšnių sodas"