Warning: Photos are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.
A pit bull who was found covered in injuries and was seen being buried on a Hawaii beach is reportedly doing well.
The dog, named Leialoha, found a new home, reported Hawaii News Now on July 16.
PAWS of Hawaii posted a video of the dog embracing her foster family.
The group said the animal is now healing well.
“She has received adoption inquiries from all around the world. What a blessing to see that so many people love and care for this precious girl. We are very happy to say she has a wonderful family from Hawai’i (Big Island) interested in giving her a forever home once she’s healing up,” PAWS wrote on Facebook last week, including a video of the dog wagging its tail.
OMG!!! 😭😭 https://t.co/S5Tk7d4M4t
— Anna B. Patriot (@Dolly0811) July 14, 2019
The group also wrote: “Leialoha is still a bit hesitant and shy, given all she’s gone through. But the improvements are consistent and just breathtaking. She wagged her tail and is coming out of her shell more each and every day!”
PAWS added that “the prayers she has been receiving are helping her blossom.”
Reward for Suspect’s Capture
The rescue group said it was notified by a bystander who saw a man burying the dog in the sand last week, according to a Facebook post.
The group came and dug the animal out, noting that the dog, named Leialoha, was “incredibly swollen, sunburned and missing 90 percent of her fur.”
Ku’ulei Durand, the Executive Director of PAWS of Hawaii, told KITV that the person who buried the dog apparently thought her ailments were too severe.
“He felt he was ending her suffering by trying to end her life, instead of getting her the help she needed,” Durand said.
Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson, with Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services, said the dog needed a lot of care.
“Severe sunburn, lesions, swollen limbs in her extremities—that is a sign of being very dehydrated and very poor care,” she explained to the local news station.
Durand said that she had cuts on her paws that were possibly inflicted on her on the beach. “The man who buried her, we were led to believe, had started to cut her,” said Durand.
“Enforcement around animal laws is very difficult. Unless you have a video of the animal being abused, a picture and a report isn’t going to stick,” Durand added.
A woman also told PAWS that she is the dog’s new owner.
“Earlier this week, I was scrolling FB, while the girls were getting haircuts and saw that there was a dog on the westside of Oahu that had been buried in the sand and been cut on her leg with a machete. She was badly sunburned, covered in sores, and missing most of her fur,” said a woman, Amanda, in the group’s Facebook post.
She added: “My heart was broken and I knew she needed us to foster her. Leialoha has come so far since Tuesday night. Initially, she would only leave her kennel to go to the bathroom. Last night, she came out, while we had friends over to see what was for dinner and has been liking being under the coffee table. She has a long way to go, but the worst is over.”
