ACCT Philly, the PSPCA, and Penn Vet Partner to Coordinate Intake and Care
[March 9, 2018; Philadelphia, PA] - A female pit bull-type dog was found abandoned and stabbed in North Philadelphia on Monday, March 5th. The dog, who has been named Woobie, was found near the Fern Rock Train Station suffering from multiple stab wounds. Through the coordinated efforts of the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly), the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), Woobie is recovering with clinical specialists attending to her care, and experts investigating her case.
Discovered by a Good Samaritan who contacted the authorities, ACCT Philly retrieved the dog, triaged it, and arranged for her immediate transfer to the PSPCA, a leader in the community for animal cruelty investigation and care. The PSPCA’s veterinary team evaluated Woobie, and due to the severity of her stab wounds, trauma to her lungs and possible internal bleeding, decided she required specialty care. The dog was enrolled in the Penn Vet Shelter Medicine's Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs Program and was admitted to Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital Trauma Center for assessment and stabilization.
“This was one of the most challenging trauma cases I have encountered in years,” said Dr. Jeffrey Runge, assistant professor of minimally invasive surgery and section chief of Companion Animal Surgery at Penn Vet. “I am truly proud to be part of the team that helped save her. She earned her way into a loving home after all she has been through.”
Woobie suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, punctured lungs, and significant bleeding. Her injuries were successfully repaired using advanced, minimally invasive surgery. She is currently in stable condition and recovering in Ryan Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Efforts by the emergency, anesthesia and surgical teams, the ICU, the nursing staff, and the entire Ryan Hospital team have brought her through a critical, life-saving surgery.
“Woobie’s case is a wonderful example of the entire Philadelphia animal welfare community, including ACCT Philly, the PSPCA, and Penn Vet, working together to get an animal the critical help it needs” said
Dr. Brittany Watson, clinical assistant professor and director of Shelter Animal Medicine and Community Engagement at Penn Vet. “We are all happy that Woobie was able to benefit from the Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs Program.”
The incident is currently under investigation. The PSPCA is asking for the help of anyone who may know Woobie, have information about her owner, or who may have witnessed her being dumped near the station.
“We are seeking the public’s help to uncover what happened, who did this, and bring them to justice,” said Nicole Wilson, director of Humane Law Enforcement at the PSPCA.
Anyone with information in this case should call the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at (866) 601-SPCA. Tips can be left anonymously.
About the Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program and the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs
As the only veterinary school in an urban setting, Penn Vet offers a unique opportunity to integrate clinical teaching, service and outreach to the animal welfare community and to address shelter overpopulation issues.
The Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program has comprehensive shelter medicine and surgery initiatives that integrates shelter stakeholders across the Philadelphia region and coordinates efforts of the School with the animal welfare community.
This initiative is supported by a donation from the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs. It enables Penn Vet’s clinicians and students to treat otherwise unsaveable animals from the Philadelphia region. Selected in collaboration with community shelter partners, the dogs often go on to live with foster families and are then made available for adoption.
For more information about Penn Vet’s Shelter Medicine, visit www.upenn.edu/shelter-medicine.
About the Pennsylvania SPCA
Since 1867, the Pennsylvania SPCA, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization headquartered at 350 East Erie Avenue, Philadelphia, has been dedicated to preventing animal cruelty and rescuing animals from abuse and neglect. The Pennsylvania SPCA's lifesaving programs for animals include a low-cost veterinary clinic, low-cost spay and neuter services, pet adoption facilities, and the Pennsylvania SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department. For more information about adopting, donating or volunteering, please call (215) 426.6300 or visit www.pspca.org.
About ACCT Philly
ACCT Philly is the region’s largest animal care and control service provider, serving the City of Philadelphia by contract. ACCT Philly’s main shelter located in North Philadelphia takes in nearly 20,000 animals, from dogs and cats, to small animals, reptiles, birds and wildlife, annually. ACCT Philly is open each and every day of the year, and offers adoption services, access to Philadelphia No Kill Coalition resources, and an animal food pantry for the city’s pet owners.
ACCT Philly’s mission is to provide shelter, care and life saving efforts for homeless, abandoned, and abused animals and protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Philadelphia. For more information about the services ACCT Provides, or to learn more about how to adopt, donate or volunteer, visit www.acctphilly.org or call 267-385-3800.