A two-month-old puppy underwent surgery after suffering broken legs, a possible broken rib, and bruised or punctured lungs when it was thrown from a car in South Salt Lake. The person who threw Malin out the window was still unknown.
Officials with South Salt lake Animal Services named the dog Malin, which means strong little warrior.
Animal control officer Kevin Hansen said they got a call May 13 that a woman saw a dog thrown from a car near 3300 South and 300 West. She was taken to a vet with broken bones and punctured or bruised lungs.
“From Friday till Monday she was in any Oxygen chamber to try to get her oxygen levels up,” he said.
He said, so far, she’s living up to her new name.
“'Small warrior' - and she is.” Hansen said. “She is a fighter. This morning when we went over to see her, her tail is wagging. She couldn’t move, she had been sedated, but she was happy to see people.”
They said her left leg was fully repaired, and some bones had to be removed from her right leg. They did expect she’ll be able to walk again. She was put into intensive care overnight so they can monitor her oxygen levels.
People as far away as Florida and New York have donated to help her get the care she needs.
The phone was ringing non-stop Monday with people wanting to donate to help Malin.
James Curtis donated in person after his daughter heard about it on the news.
“She said, 'Dad, we gotta do something.' So I said, 'Okay. I’ll hop in the car,' (then) drove down here," Curtis said.
As dog lovers, they said the story was hard to hear.
“We have two dogs ourselves - that’s why what happened... I can’t understand it," he said.
It could be six months before Malin can walk again. People have donated a few dollars to a few hundred to help her get the care she needs.
“The veterinarian bills we're going to be anywhere between $6,000 to $10,000, and we’re between $4,000 to $5,000 in donations so far," Hansen said.
He said Malin’s expenses have been covered, but people can still donate to Animal Services' emergency veterinary fund for situations like Malin’s.
Hansen said the person who may be responsible for what happened is still unknown. He described it as finding a needle in a haystack.
That’s in part because the description of the car is vague. Police have been working to review security camera footage from the area. They’re also hoping someone may recognized Malin, who may be a Pomeranian chihuahua mix.
Based on information from Malin’s doctor, officials said this may not be the first time she’s been harmed.
“There’s possible old injuries to the ribs and the dog is only two months old. And to have old injuries to a dog of two months, that means the dog has probably had some sort of abuse its whole life.”
If you happened to see anything or recognize Malin you should contact South Salt Lake Police. South Salt Lake Animal services says donations have now covered Malin’s expenses, but you can still donate to their emergency veterinary fund.