Bekka

 Bekka is now an almost 9 month old German Shepherd puppy, that my 10 year old daughter Cailee has always wanted and finally she arrived Christmas last year.  Cailee had the name Bekka picked out for over a year.  She planned to show her at 4/H Junior Handling and Junior Agility. Her  first show would have been in April, but her dream was shattered on March 18th, 2007.  Late Sunday afternoon as I started to prepare dinner, I heard shots coming from the house behind us.  This was not an usual occurence as to the best of my knowledge, the man that had moved in a few months  before, likes to drink beer and shoot his guns.

I can only assume that what happened next, was sort of a "pay back" for calling the fire dept to report a fire when one night, shortly after he moved in, I had come home to him burning a huge pile of trash close to our fence line, near our barn - there was a burn ban in effect and the  night was quite dry and windy.  I heard yelps coming from my dogs behind my house.  I ran out the front door and when rounded the corner of my  house a bullet whizzed by my head and hit the ground beside me.  Then I saw Bekka at the fence line dragging her back legs.  I ran in to call 911 and at that time another of my dogs, Tilly, ran inside my house bleeding badly - she had also been shot.

I ran back outside to Bekka, then Justin Police dept arrived and  shortly afterward the Denton County Sheriff's Dept responded.  The Sheriff's Deputy was very rude to me and amazingly later on that evening I  arrived home from the Denton County Animal Hospital to learn that the neighbor who had shot my dogs had not been arrested.  The Deputy called and  aplogized for his behavior the following day.

The two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of deadly conduct  are to go in front of the Grand Jury on June 7th.  During this incident my four year old blue heeler mix, Tilly, was shot in my next door  neighbors pasture - my neighbors loved Tilly.  The shot completely shattered her left knee cap.  She has recovered and has not had to under go surgery. The vet says that is the "heeler" in her.

My next door neighbors were outside and witnessed the whole chain of events and we still to this day do not know how Bekka got on his side  of the fence.  We can only assume she went over the fence via a "swimming pool" ladder that my daughter, Cailee, and the neighbor's daughter had placed over the fence. We were told that Bekka was shot at several times as she paced the  fence line trying to get back in to our yard.  She never posed a threat or  was aggressive towards him in anyway.  Unable to hit her from his back porch, he left the porch and walked to Bekka, a six month old puppy.  Bekka  was terrified and was standing with her front paws on the fence trying to get back home.  He then walked directly over to her and from behind, shot her at close range directly in her spine.  This left her back legs  paralyzed and she had no control over her bladder or anal muscles.

At first we had to manually express her bladder and bathe her several times a day.  She has shown mush improvement in the past two and a half months -  amazing many people.  She is very determined and is a happy and kind souled dog.  She has now regained partial bladder and anal muscle control and use of her left leg though it is still very week.

Each vet or physical therapist that has cared for Bekka have all commented on her very sweet disposition and cannot understand how any one could  do this to a puppy.  She has some along way but is now in need of surgery that would amputate her right back leg and her tail, followed my  intense physical therapy. being a single Mom of two this has emotionally financially devasted our family.  We could use the advice and/or help of anyone out there to ensure that this man is convicted of at least one of these felony charges, stripping him of the right to ever own a fire arm again.  Any offers of help with Bekka's recovery would be greatly appreciated so that she has every chance possible at a long, happy and healthy life. Our family can provide all the time and love Bekka needs for her recovery.

Thank you for listening to our story.