Owner of Rottweiler recovering from gunshot wound seeks help amid search for shooter

By NICOLE LINSALATA, KEVIN BOULANDIER, ALEX BROWNING

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    PEMBROKE PINES, Florida (WSVN) — The owner of a 14-month-old Rottweiler is hoping to get some help finding the person responsible for shooting his dog outside his Miami home.

7News cameras captured Mellow with a big blue cast on his front leg, as he recovers from the gunshot wound.

“What’s up, fat boy?” said his owner, Clinton Lee, as he played with his pet.

Lee calls the dog “fat boy,” but his real name is Mellow, and after spending time with him, it’s easy to see why.

“He’s mellow. That’s really why I gave him the name, though, ’cause he’s mellow,” said Lee.

Last week, someone shot Mellow in the leg outside of his family’s home on Northwest 73rd Street.

“He was hopping, it was bleeding,” said Lee.

When asked what he thought when he saw that, Lee replied, “Why did they shoot him?”

Veterinarians at Miami-Dade Animal Services initially took care of the wounded dog, but they recommended a specialized surgery to fix what they described as broken bones and ruptured tendons.

“Generally, this is an injury that, in a shelter, is very complicated to repair. It requires a specialized surgeon,” said Dr. Maria Serrano, Chief Veterinarian at Miami-Dade Animal Services.

A rescue group, I Heart Animal Rescue is stepping up to help get the dog the medical help he needs.

“We are willing to help with the surgery so he can keep his leg. He’s such a sweet angel,” said I Heart Animal Rescue’s Cindy Mucciaccio.

The rescue group is helping raise the thousands of dollars needed for Mellow’s surgery, which involves placing a plate inside his leg.

The dog is expected to have surgery sometime next week.

Still, what no one can understand is why someone would shoot a dog.

“It’s just horrible. There’s no words for it,” said Mucciaccio.

“As you can see, he’s no aggressive dog or nothing. He’s not aggressive. He’s a playful dog, really,” said Lee. “I want to know why they did it. Why would they do that to my dog?”

The surgery is expected to cost thousands of dollars.

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