UPDATE - 10/30/2023:
Tuff the stray sheperd is stable and receiving care from staff at the Gulf Coast Humane Society (GCHS).
According to a GCHS Facebook post, Tuff had to go through a six hour long treatment and surgical process when he was first brought in. An obstruction in his colon was putting him in lots of pain and made his surgery pretty high risk.
However, shelter staff are with him every step of the way in his recovery process and said his care is "ongoing."
ORIGINAL - 10/25/2023:
We found an injured dog at the KRIS 6 News station. In the beginning, our team didn't know if he was hurt, but after a closer look, we realized he needed immediate help.
One of our biggest fears in getting help for the dog was thinking he would be put down—but according to officials with Corpus Christi Animal Services, euthanasia is a last resort.
The interim director at Animal Care Services, William Cox, said there are protocols before getting to the point of euthanizing an animal.
"We go through each individual animal, and we have a leadership discussion about those dogs, and we see how long they have been here, what's their condition, what are they missing if they got their heartworm tested, have they got their vaccinations to see where they are, "Cox added.
Dawn Maguire is a dangerous and aggressive dog investigator with Animal Care Services. She said their biggest focus is to make sure they help the best way possible.
"We are not going to put them down. We are going to give them the best treatment we can. We are going to get them in here and get them looked at by our vet staff, and then we going to get them placed with a rescue that can afford and can help this animal get whatever treatment they need so that they can live their best life," Maguire said.
Cox said that not making the call when an injured abandoned animal is seen can lead to an even worse outcome and is ultimately inhuman.
"Allow us to get in there because maybe if it's a condition that we could've intervened sooner and we could've changed the outcome for this dog, do you know, and if we allow it to sit for a few days before we make that decision it has the potential to change the outcome, "Cox added.
The dog KRIS 6 found was named "Tuff" by the staff at animal care services.
Most immediate medical cases like Tuff's get picked up by other rescue shelters after they arrive at the CCACS facility.
In this case the Gulf Coast Humane Society stepped in and has been working with Tuff, providing him with all the necessary medical treatment making sure they do everything they can to save him.
Tuff underwent a complicated surgery on Wednesday with the Gulf Coast Humane Society team, veterinarians are by his side in hopes he makes a full recovery.
If you find an abandoned animal that is injured or aggressive, call the city's non-emergency number 311.
