WEATHERFORD -- Debbie Williams heard that a dog near her property was frightened, confused and probably abused. She had to find it.
After a daylong search Monday involving members of Parker County animal control and local residents, Debbie Williams and her husband, Jerry, corralled the dog in a brushy area on a ranch owned by Kit and Charlie Moncrief.Its condition was grim: Its jaws were bound shut with electrical tape in a way that left its tongue exposed; its body temperature exceeded 105 degrees; it could not eat, drink or pant and it had deep cuts on its neck and back."It was the most inhumane thing I had ever seen in my life," Debbie Williams said. "It was like someone had taken a knife and used it on a chopping block."Four days later, the pug-mix female, now named Hope, is recovering nicely and will soon move to a new home: the Moncrief ranch, where she will share quarters with horses, eight other adopted dogs and the Moncriefs."I can't think of a better family for Hope to belong to," Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said.The Moncriefs expressed a sense of responsibility to Hope."We're lucky to have her," Kit Moncrief said by telephone Friday. "It's a natural fit. We've adopted quite a few dogs, and we were just horrified at the abuse this dog endured."The woman who initially spotted the dog searched for 90 minutes or more before she had to go home, said Debbie Williams, who lives near the area where Hope was found.The Williamses searched on their own for four hours that morning on four-wheelers after Debbie had helped the primary search team by opening gates to restricted land. "And then we went back out on horseback about 4:30 p.m. because there was a lot of brush," she said.When the Williamses found Hope at about 6 p.m. Monday in the 6900 block of Parker County Road, she was dehydrated, suffering from blood loss and very scared, Debbie Williams said. Hope required about 100 internal and external stitches to close four cuts that had penetrated her muscles. Hope has lost a part of her tongue about the size of two peas, veterinarian Kevin Buchanan said.Sheriff's officials continued their search for whoever was responsible for torturing the dog. A $35,000 reward -- including $25,000 through the Texas Humane Alliance -- is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.The hospital has been flooded with calls of concern from around the world, and people have written notes of encouragement to Hope, Buchanan said. Animal hospital employees searched for a microchip or signs of a collar but found no hints of ownership."She had to have that kind of personality before this happened," Buchanan said. "She's gotten along with all the other animals at the hospital. She's never shown any signs of aggression to any person or animal. She was in pain, but she was never aggressive even then."Kit Moncrief said she expects Hope will get along with the animals at the ranch."Adopted animals are smart," she said. "They know they've been given another chance and they tend to love each other."Mitch Mitchell, 817-390-7752Twitter: @stcrimeDeanna Boyd, 817-390-7655Twitter: @deannaboydHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
