Chihuahua Puppy Shot with Arrow Welcomed into New Home

https://nbcpalmsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/arrow_dog_adopted.mp4 THOUSAND PALMS (CNS) – A Chihuahua puppy that was shot through the neck with an arrow in Desert Hot Springs is enjoying life anew today with a La Quinta woman who adopted her. Lyn Thornton was selected from among a bevy of prospective adopters — one as far away as Thailand — who sought to take the four-month-old female pup home. Thornton retrieved her new four-legged friend Thursday from the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms. "I want to let you know how grateful I am that you chose us," Thornton said in a message to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. "After a lunch of shredded chicken, we took her home to meet her family. She chose to play with her new brother on the bed. I could tell she felt safe and slept very soundly." Thornton named the pup "Tiffany Grace." A video of the two uniting is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dLPqD-1gmE&feature=youtu.be. Video of the pup, immediately before and after surgery, can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSo9hxeS0Qc. Tiffany was rescued on the morning of May 23 after a man in the 15500 block of Avenida Florencita, near Camino Campanero, heard the little dog yelping in pain and went outside to investigate, according to Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh. The man found the Chihuahua with an arrow penetrating straight through her neck and called 911. The canine was turned over to a sheriff’s deputy, who then relinquished it to an animal control officer, after which she was transferred to the Thousand Palms facility for surgical removal of the arrow, according to Welsh. He said that, amazingly, the projectile did not "strike the puppy’s vital arteries." The canine spent the ensuing week recovering before being placed for adoption. "As much as I was very troubled to learn about what someone did to this puppy, I was equally proud that we gave this very sweet girl a chance at a better future," Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. The nonprofit Michelson Found Animals Foundation was appalled by the act of cruelty and has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the party or parties responsible. According to Welsh, the Department of Animal Services has never received a sum so large to provide as a reward connected to a cruelty investigation. "People who hurt animals are far more likely to cause harm to humans," foundation founder Dr. Gary Michelson said. "While this is a sickening incident on its own, these acts are rarely isolated." Gettis said she hoped the reward would "encourage someone to come forward and help us identify who committed this terrible crime." PETA intends to offer a $5,000 reward of its own, and the Animal Solutions Konnection — ASK — Foundation also intends to offer a reward, in the amount of $1,000, Welsh said. Anyone with information was urged to contact the Department of Animal Services via email at shelterinfo@rivco.org. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc. CNS-06-03-2022 11:28