Two South Florida veterinary hospitals came to the rescue of an American pit bull terrier that was attacked by three not-so-little bears.
The 3-year-old female dog, Mary Jane, is believed to have encountered the bears after she ran off during a walk Nov. 3 on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.
Mary Jane was bitten multiple times.
Suffering from deep puncture wounds, Mary Jane was taken to Lakeside Animal Hospital in Plantation before she was referred to Lauderdale Veterinary Specialists in Fort Lauderdale, 65 miles west of Big Cypress. She was given fluids, pain medication and antibiotics, and she was being monitored for possible internal injuries.
“While we consider Mary Jane to be lucky and think her prognosis is good, we are still cautious about the air in her chest and the potential for the development of infection,” said Lauderdale intern Ashley Villatoro, DVM.
“Most importantly, this should be a lesson to all who live in South Florida that we have a presence of wildlife that can easily harm or injure a pet,” Dr. Villatoro said. “Whether we’re talking bears, panthers, bobcats, alligators, venomous snakes, wild boars or Bufo toads, we certainly have our share of deadly wildlife to continually be on the lookout for.”
Big Cypress Indian Reservation, part of the Seminole tribe, is located in the Florida Everglades.