Abused dog with injuries from ‘embedded collar’ rehabilitated by Kent Animal Shelter, now up for adoption

When Bella first arrived at Atlantic Coast Veterinary in Bohemia the staff was told the pitbull had been in a fight with another dog, but the doctors in charge of her care quickly realized this was not true. They believed what had happened to Bella was far worse: animal abuse.

Bella’s injuries led doctor’s to conclude that she had suffered from an embedded collar that was tearing her skin and was dangerously close to her jugular, causing damage to the vital vein.

“An embedded collar can happen when a neglectful owner puts on a collar that is to small and the dog continues to grow, and the dog essentially grows around the collar,” explained Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“Her neck was very severely wounded all the way around, inches deep wounds. It was like this for weeks to months, and it became infected,” said Dr. Ashley Pearson, a veterinarian who worked on Bella at Atlantic Coast. That was at the beginning of February, just three months ago. “Looking at her now, you would never know about her past.”

Bella today is a happy, healthy four-year-old pitbull who is now available for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter, where she has spent the past few months recuperating and being rehabilitated by the staff.

“They’ve really done a fantastic job,” Pearson said. “It’s an incredible facility.”

“Bella never really had a good life, but we plan to change that,” Pam Green, director of Kent said at a press conference this morning. “We really want to find a better life for these animals, particularly those who have been abused, like Bella.”

Bella is described as “super-sweet” and is good with people and other dogs.

“Unfortunately the pitbull stigma follows her,” Green explained. “This dog may have been abused but she was not trained to be a fighter. She’s so sweet and we’re hoping to find a home for her soon. She needs a second chance.”

Anyone interested in adopting Bella can fill out an application on Kent Animal Shelter’s website.

Gross said Bella’s case highlights the need for communication between the SPCA and the community.

“We don’t go out and patrol. We need the community to step up to the plate,” he said. “An animal can’t pick up the phone to call us for help. If you suspect animal cruelty, please report it.”

After an extensive investigation, the SPCA charged a Mastic man in late February with animal cruelty. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine, a punishment that Gross feels barely scratches the surface of what needs to be done.

“I don’t even know the words to use here to describe how she suffered,” Gross said. “It looked like someone took a machete to her. It was absolutely horrible to see a dog like that.”

In his more than thirty years with the Suffolk SPCA, Gross has only seen two cases that have received the maximum sentence for animal cruelty of two years.

“New York State should have the strongest animal cruelty laws, but we have some of the weakest,” Gross said. “Take it to the state level, speak to your legislators, get more laws enacted. We need stricter laws and punishments. A two year maximum is just not enough.”