Two pit bulls were discovered in a park just outside Philadelphia, and it seemed as though they were at death’s door. One of the dogs, now known as Gracie, was cold to the touch. The other dog, Layla, was curled up next to her, as if protecting her. Officer Russ “Wolf” Harper, co-founder of Justice Rescue, arrived at the scene and immediately tried to comfort the dogs with his gentle voice. Harper was eventually able to get close enough to the dogs to keep them warm with his heavy police vest before rushing them to the vet.
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At the vet, Gracie was in dire condition, so weak and cold that Harper believed she might need to be euthanized. However, the veterinarian gave her fluids and began warming her up. It was clear that these young dogs had been used for fighting most of their lives, based on their wounds. “They’re only about 2 years old, and they’ve only known abuse, they’ve only known fighting,” Harper observed.
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Despite her poor condition, Gracie began to improve. Harper visited her in her room, and she stood up when she saw him, even eating out of his hand. “She wanted to follow me around. I sat down and she sat right on my lap,” Harper said. Layla, however, crashed the next day and required special care.
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Harper and his co-founder founded Justice Rescue to fill the gap in training that police officers have when dealing with animal cruelty. They trained in law enforcement and became special humane officers, even getting certified as crime scene investigators to help find abusers and provide evidence for district attorneys. Because of this, Harper has been able to help bust dogfighting rings, instead of waiting for the canine victims to surface somewhere first.
Gracie and Layla still have a long way to go to recover, but they are starting to understand that people can help them. “They just look at you. They just stare, like, ‘Is this real?’” Harper said. The dogs will stay with Harper until they are ready to be adopted to the right home.
PHOTO: JUSTICE RESCUE
If you have information about Gracie and Layla’s case, you can contact Justice Rescue at 215-942-6363 or email [email protected]. You can also help fight animal abuse by donating to Justice Rescue. By working together, we can help animals like Gracie and Layla and put an end to animal cruelty.