Some humans are capable of such monstrous acts that make the rest of us ashamed to belong to the same species. Animals are so much better than humans. In the wild, they attack because they are hungry or afraid – they never kill or torture for fun.
Our heroine had the misfortune to belong to a sadistic person who not only enjoyed torturing her but also buried her alive and left her to die. Athena is a French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux). She was recently found buried alive by a good Samaritan who was walking his dog. He noticed something sticking out of the ground. He realized it was the dog’s head and knew he had to act immediately.
Athena was found buried alive on August 4. Her head was the only exposed part, and it appears she was able to free it herself because it was buried fairly shallow.
But she could not free herself completely because she was anchored in the ground.
Athena was very weak and dehydrated. She was also very calm during her rescue.
Her rescuer’s dog also gave her a hand. Her name is Goddess. Very appropriate – Goddess and Athena.
Goddess continued to encourage the poor dog during the rescue.
Athena was dehydrated, so her rescuer gave her water in small sips. Giving her large amounts of water at one time could be harmful to a dehydrated animal.
The rescue process was slow because the rescuer used his hands instead of a shovel, not wanting to hurt the dog.
The poor dog was taken to a local veterinary clinic, where she was treated for shock and dehydration. The vets concluded that she was at least 10 years old and had been severely abused in the process.
The photo shows Athena with two new Rottweiler friends. She is trying to adjust to life with a loving family, friends, and proper care.
Authorities were able to locate Athena’s owner through her dog tag. It turned out that he lives near the vacant lot in Paris where Athena was found. He denied having anything to do with this event and claimed she had run away.
However, the evidence told a different story. It was clear that the dog had been abused for a long period and suffered from osteoarthritis, which made it quite difficult for her to run away.
The 21-year-old owner was arrested Saturday afternoon and will be tried for animal cruelty. The trial is scheduled for May. People have started a petition asking for the maximum sentence, which would mean two years in prison and a $33,000 fine.
The petitioners are also asking that he be denied bail, as they believe that cruelty to animals is just one more step to hurting a human being.
