Man gives abused dog second chance

[bigdoglover]

The Herald Dispatch

By Justin McElroy

When Richard Z. Hill Jr. heard about 13 dogs that police said were being abused in a Cabell County home, he knew only that he had to act.

Sara Florence Phipps, 69, of Huntington was charged on Wednesday with 13 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after police said they saw "13 dogs chained with heavy logging chains which were very short" in her home. The report also said that the dogs were "very thin" and malnourished. One of the dogs was found dead, and another had to be euthanized.

Huntington resident Hill was reading about the animals’ plight in The Herald-Dispatch, and said one picture in particular piqued his interest.

“I saw her in the paper last Wednesday, and I immediately thought ‘She looks like a dobie,’ ” Hill said.

“Dobies” or Dobermans have had a place in Hill’s heart and home for more than 50 years. He’s taken in several of the animals in the past, in fact, he’s got five living in his home right now.

As soon as he went to the Huntington-Cabell-Wayne Animal Shelter to see the abused Doberman, he knew that he’d be adding a sixth.

“I just made my mind up, I told her, ‘I’ll come back and get you somehow,’ ” Hill said.

But, he said, getting the dog was no easy task. Technically, “Sassy,” as she is now known, is a ward of the courts. But because of her poor condition, the shelter worried that she wouldn’t be able to live through the court proceedings without significant medical care. That was care Hill was willing to provide.

“I’ve got her as a character witness, I guess you’d say,” Hill said with a laugh.

He then went to the Internet for guidance, asking members of the newspaper’s online Story Chat forums for advice on how he should proceed.

After plenty of online support, and meetings with the shelter, a Cabell County magistrate and an assistant to a prosecutor in the case, Hill was able to take Sassy home. Although she was practically emaciated at 43 pounds (80 would be a more typical weight for a Doberman at her age), her spirit was far from broken.

“We picked her up Saturday morning, and she about towed me out of the place,” Hill said. “I didn’t think she’d be able to do that.”

A visit to the veterinarian confirmed that Sassy, which the doctor estimated to be between two and four years old, was host to several parasites but was clear of mange and heartworm disease. Hill immediately began her treatment regimen.

The shelter appreciates the help that Hill gave, but said that others needn’t follow in his steps.

“This little dobie mix was really at death’s door and in desperate need of medical attention,” said Debbie Young, office manager of the shelter. “The rest are doing all right and holding their own.”

Sassy is now past the worst of her health problems, but what her future holds is still unknown. As Hill is only a foster owner of the dog, the courts could order her returned to the shelter at any time. But the way Hill sees it, his most important task is already done: He saved the life of a dobie named Sassy.

“This is one of God’s creatures,” Hill said. “It’s not right to let it die, just because of somebody’s ignorance.”