Pooch stabbed twice by owner and left to die in a gutter
After being stabbed twice and left to die on a street in Lancaster, Calif., a three-year-old, 8.3-pound Poodle-blend is ready for adoption at Helen Woodward Animal Center (HWAC) in Rancho Santa Fe. Center medical officials say that, “Hercules” is expected to lead a normal, happy life.
“We were told that a neighbor saw the stabbed dog and called Lancaster authorities who picked him up and took it to a veterinarian for treatment,” says HWAC spokesman John Van Zante. “Little Hercules was stabbed twice…once on the right hip and again on the left hip. Fortunately the knife missed his vital organs.”
Van Zante adds, “As if the stabbing is not hard enough to believe, after Hercules spent two weeks recovering from the stab wounds, we’re told that the owner went to the Lancaster shelter and tried to reclaim him! We don’t know what transpired but we do know that, rather than give him back to the person who stabbed him and left him for dead, they transferred him to a Los Angeles pet rescue group operated by Julie Joseph. Julie brought him to Helen Woodward Animal Center.”
Joseph told HWAC that she’s not sure how Lancaster authorities identified the dog. She was told that the dog had been licensed by Lancaster Department of Animal Control at one time, but he had no microchip identification.
“It’s an amazing story about an amazing dog…so we thought he should have an amazing name,” says Van Zante. “That’s why we named him Hercules. He’s not very big but he obviously has a lot of strength.”
HWAC Adoption officials report that the stabbing hasn’t impacted Hercules’ personality. “He’s very gentle... He gets along great with other dogs and loves to be touched. Some family is going to be very fortunate to have this little dog with the strength of Hercules.”
Hercules is now available for adoption at the Helen Woodward Animal Center, 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe. His adoption fee will be $195. For more information about orphan dogs and cats in need of families visit the center, call 858-756-4117, or log on to
.