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Back in June, 3-year-old Shayla, a terrier mix, was already considered a survivor. She and four other dogs in Riverside, CA, fell victim to their then-owner of all people, who shot them all from behind.
Shelter Hope Pet Shop, a Ventura County rescue group, took up Shayla’s cause, and the road to recovery began.
“I love her,” Mary Emerick, Shayla’s foster mom told NBC Los Angeles. “She never gave up.”
But this week, while Emerick and Shayla were out walking, two large, unleashed dogs came after the nine-pound pup.
Eugene Contreras, a Moorpark city street sweeper, proved the hero, bounding from his truck with a metal pipe. He didn’t hit the dogs, but his approach — and raising the pipe — was enough to scare them off. Emerick calls Contreras “her hero.”
Shayla, badly mauled, was rushed to the vet and operating room.
She suffered four broken ribs, a collapsed lung and most of the skin on her back was torn loose. But her doctors say her prognosis is excellent. They believe Shayla will walk again … because she is unstoppable.
“She will give it her all,” Emerick said. “I don’t think she will stop until she gets there.”
A report was filed with the Ventura County Department of Animal Services regarding the unleashed dogs that attacked her.
Want to help with Shayla’s recovery? Contact Shelter Hope Pet Shop at [email protected] or visit their website for more information.
