February 13, 2012
By Richard Elliot, WSBTV.com
Someone shot a deer hunting arrow
into a DeKalb County family's beloved pet Saturday, and now police
are searching for the culprit.
Kirby Vanderyt's black Lab
named Obsidian Rose, or Siddie for short, is recovering at the
University of Georgia's Small Animal Hospital after doctors there
removed the arrow.
"I was very distraught," said Vanderyt.
"I don't know who we're dealing with."
Vanderyt said she was
outside her Tucker home late Saturday afternoon when she heard her
dog yelp and spotted her rushing around the yard. When she called
Siddie over, Vanderyt said she saw the arrow sticking out of the
dog.
They first took the dog to a local animal hospital but
then transported her to the UGA Vet School hospital. There, doctors,
led by Dr. Bryan Torres, delicately removed the arrow which,
according to Vanderyt, had lodged dangerously close to the dog's
spinal cord.
"It's designed to bring down a deer," said
Vanderyt as she showed off the razor-tipped arrow. "This is what was
shot into my black Lab."
Vanderyt isn't sure if the shooting
was an accident or something more sinister, but she wants the
culprit caught.
"My concern is for the safety of other
people in the neighborhood," said Vanderyt. "I don't know who did
this, if it was specifically aimed at me or my pets or anybody else
in my family. I just feel we need to find out who did this so that
we can all be assured in the neighborhood that we're all safe. And
if we're not, the police need to take care of that as well."
Vanderyt reunited with the dog Monday afternoon. She said doctors
may allow her to go home later in the week.
"She's very
resilient," Vanderyt said. "She's got a big heart."
Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material
whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe
that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes
a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section
107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted
material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must
obtain permission from the copyright owner.
