{"id":13931,"date":"2013-02-18T14:27:23","date_gmt":"2013-02-18T19:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=13931"},"modified":"2013-02-18T14:27:23","modified_gmt":"2013-02-18T19:27:23","slug":"abused-dogs-comeback-makes-indelible-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=13931","title":{"rendered":"Abused dog\u2019s comeback makes indelible impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dozens gather for airport sendoff as Radar\u2019s recovery continues<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h1>\n
\n

By Kathleen Brady Shea<\/strong><\/span>,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chester<\/a>

Chester County Animal Protective Services Officer Craig Baxter holds Radar as an appreciative crowd admires the progress the dog has made since being discarded on the side of the road a year ago.<\/p><\/div>\n

Slobbering kisses on the faces of his handlers as his tail wagged furiously, the pit bull terrier bore no resemblance to the bloodied animal left for dead in a roadside ravine slightly more than a year ago.<\/p>\n

Monday morning, several dozen people instrumental in facilitating Radar\u2019s transformation gathered at the Chester County SPCA to bid him farewell. For his part, Radar reveled in the attention.<\/p>\n

Rich Britton, a spokesman for the Chester County SPCA, said the dog\u2019s recovery to date spotlighted the power of compassionate collaboration. He said hundreds of people contributed to Radar\u2019s second chance \u2013 from members of the public who made monetary donations to the veterinarians who donated services to volunteers who managed his daily care.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Radar<\/a>

Radar meets Matt Kiener, the pilot who would transport him to a behaviorist in Ohio. Kiener, who has flown over 30 missions for Pilots N Paws, said he ended up taking a dog home on his first rescue because it refused to leave his side.<\/p><\/div>\n

Caln Township Police Officer Joseph Carboni said when he found the dog lying on the side of Fisherville Road on Feb. 6, 2012, he was \u201cheartbroken.\u201d The dog\u2019s massive injuries suggested he had been hit by a car, Carboni said, adding that he called the Chester County SPCA.<\/p>\n

Minutes later, Chester County SPCA Animal Protective Services Officer Craig Baxter arrived, initiating a bond that would continue to intensify. Baxter said in nearly a decade of animal advocacy, he had never seen a dog so injured and emaciated. \u201cI felt so sorry for him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Baxter rushed the dog to the West Chester Veterinary Medical Center, where Dr. Scott Humphries performed life-saving treatment for myriad injuries, which included multiple puncture wounds to Radar\u2019s face and legs and a muzzle swollen to twice its normal size. Humphries said the injuries resulted from dog fighting.<\/p>\n

Radar, estimated to be between 2 and 3 years old, had been employed a \u201cbait dog,\u201d Baxter said. He explained that Radar would have been tied to a tree so the more aggressive dogs could practice attacking. Then, when Radar outlived his usefulness, \u201che was thrown out like trash,\u201d Baxter said.<\/p>\n

Britton said Radar continued to need more treatment, such as the tibial crest transposition surgery performed by Dr. Willi Weichelt to correct a dislocated knee, which enabled Radar to walk properly. The dog received convalescent care at the Applebrook Inn Pet Resort, but his rehabilitation still had one step remaining, said Britton.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/a>

With Chester County SPCA Animal Protective Services Officer Craig Baxter holding his leash, Radar is reunited with Cheryl Shaw, a former SPCA officer, who traveled from West Virginia for the sendoff.<\/p><\/div>\n

Because of his dog-fighting background, Britton said the Chester County SPCA wanted to ensure that his recovery included extended behavioral training. Britton said he reached out to Kristen Torchia, who had a connection to an Ohio trainer.<\/p>\n

Torchia said she became involved in championing pit bulls after a school superintendent banned her therapy dog from an elementary school primarily because of its breed. She said Chuck Stella, a canine behaviorist and trainer in North Ridgeville, agreed to take Radar. Then Matt Kiener, a flight instructor who volunteers for Pilots N Paws, a pet rescue organization, stepped in to provide transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe unluckiest dog in the world has become the luckiest,\u201d said Britton, expressing gratitude to the many people who assisted. \u201cThis is a very joyful and emotional time for all of us as we see Radar take flight to a new life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mixed emotions could be seen on the tearful faces surrounding Radar as he received last-minute hugs on the tarmac at Brandywine Airport before entering his crate for the plane ride. Some were already making plans to visit Stella\u2019s K911 Elite facility in Ohio.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pilot<\/a>

Pilot Matt Kiener (from left), Chester County SPCA spokesman Rich Britton, Chester County SPCA Animal Protective Services Officer Craig Baxter and Chester County SPCA Operations Manager Mike Dempsey get ready to put Radar in his crate for the plane ride.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mike Dempsey, operations manager for the Chester County SPCA, said Radar\u2019s progress so far suggests that he will likely be adopted in Ohio after a training regimen. \u201cWe\u2019re optimistic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For Baxter \u2013 at the dog\u2019s side since the beginning \u2013 a visit to Ohio was already on his radar. \u201cI\u2019m definitely going. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s totally set in yet that he\u2019s leaving,\u201d he said, his voice cracking. \u201cI\u2019m really going to miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Radar\u2019s name was prompted by his soulful eyes, his plight put dog-fighting on the radar of law-enforcement, and his recovery put the need for donations on the public\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1929, the Chester County SPCA (CCSPCA) is an open access shelter. An independent nonprofit that does not receive county, state, or federal tax funding, the CCSPCA is supported through voluntary contributions and fund-raising events such as Walk for Paws. Britton said the Chester County SPCA Rescue and Recovery Fund, established for Radar, would continue to operate. For more information, visit\u00a0www.ccspca.org.\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dozens gather for airport sendoff as Radar\u2019s recovery continues By Kathleen Brady Shea,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times Slobbering kisses on the faces of his handlers as his tail wagged furiously, the pit bull terrier bore no resemblance to the bloodied animal left for dead in a roadside ravine slightly more than a year ago. Monday morning, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[2763,2758,2757,2764,2761,2762,2766,2759,2765,1499,2760],"class_list":["post-13931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-featured","tag-applebrook-inn-pet-resort","tag-caln-township-police-officer-joseph-carboni","tag-chester-county-animal-protective-services-officer-craig-baxter","tag-chuck-stella","tag-dr-scott-humphries","tag-dr-willi-weichelt","tag-k911-elite","tag-matt-kiener","tag-pilots-n-paws","tag-rich-britton","tag-west-chester-veterinary-medical-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}