Rottweiler dragged behind truck won the hearts of animal-lovers around the world
Oct 12, 2008 - 04:30 AM
By Jennifer O'Meara
NORTHUMBERLAND - The story of a legendary dog has come to a quiet end.
Nikita, the rottweiler that survived being dragged behind a vehicle in Bewdley several years ago, was recently put down after a long battle with cancer.
In 1999, the young dog was tied to her owner’s truck and dragged along until people on the scene were able to stop the driver.
“He dragged her quite a long way and injured her quite badly,” said Northumberland Humane Society (NHS) president Marie Cooper.
Nikita was taken to the NHS for treatment. Money started to pour in from all over the world for the dog’s medical care.
“The community really rallied around her, both with rescuing her and helping with the costs of the vet care,” recalled shelter supervisor Lynne Brightman.
Even after all the best veterinary care, her legs were never the same again, Ms. Cooper said. But Nikita was a fighter, said Ms. Brightman, and she did heal and amazingly, still liked people.
“She was a very, very gentle, good-natured dog,” she added. “She didn’t seem to have any fear of people, which is incredible given what happened to her.”
Nikita was adopted by a Nova Scotia couple who sent the NHS pictures and reports on her progress. The couple worked to rehabilitate Nikita and gave her a loving home, humane society staff said.
“She was adopted by this couple who absolutely gave her the most amazing life a dog could ever have,” said Ms. Brightman. “They made her life worth living.”
After a long battle with cancer, Nikita died on Sept. 4 at the age of 10.
The money donated to the society for Nikita’s medical care will now to used to help other dogs in distress, explained Ms. Cooper.
“Although she got worldwide attention, and very much deserved, abuse still goes on. It goes on every day,” noted Ms. Brightman. “It’s important to support your local shelter.”
Ms. Brightman said what happened to Nikita is extreme but the society sees a lot of cases of animal abuse that never come to the public eye. Those animals could use support through donations or volunteering.
For Ms. Cooper, Nikita’s case illustrates that Ontario laws need to change to better protect animals.
Nikita’s owner was charged with allegedly dragging the dog behind his truck, but he died before the trial could proceed, she said.
Ms. Cooper said since Nikita’s abuse, she has been lobbying the provincial government for stiffer laws against animal abuse. She said an excellent provincial bill, on requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse, had its first reading in April, and has not been brought back to the table since. Ms. Cooper noted Ontario has the worst laws in Canada for animal protection.
“It’s a misdemeanor to ill-treat an animal in this province,” she said. “It should be a crime.”
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