Audra Petraškienė couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a sopping wet dog drag itself out of a river on a roadside in Lithuania next to a wooded area.
Even more shockingly, there was something tied around the pup’s next that made it clear he wasn’t meant to survive.
Petraškienė approached the pup, taking a video as she went, and her voice clearly indicates her shock and horror at the situation.
The dog hadn’t just been going for a swim. Around his neck was a large “anchor” made from heavy junk metal.
Audra Petraškienė
It was pretty easy to put two and two together – this was an attempted murder.
Someone had dumped this brave and strong pup into the river with this do-it-yourself anchor tied to him, hoping that it would kill him.
And yet against all odds, the scared and shivering pup had managed to escape, swimming back to safety and making his way to dry land.
Audra Petraškienė
Petraškienė was nearly in tears. She couldn’t believe that anyone would want to hurt such an adorable and innocent creature.
She knew she had to do something to help the dog, and she could see how helpless, terrified, and anxious he was.
He needed assistance, fast. It’s unknown how he managed to survive, but his fighting spirit prevailed somehow.
Petraškienė decided to bring the pup into her car. He didn’t fight or struggle, seemingly happy to be safe.
She brought him to her house, where she carefully cut away and removed the anchor so the dog could move freely.
Then, she made sure he was warm and helped dry him off from his endeavour.
The next step was to take the pup to the vet in case of any internal injuries or problems.
Luckily, a vet gave him the all-clear. The pup was fine.
Petraškienė brought the loving dog back home and contacted local authorities, hoping that someone would arrest the perpetrator of this cruelty.
Audra Petraškienė
Petraškienė’s next step was sharing the video she took at the scene of the crime.
With over 1.5 million views, the video went viral, eventually reaching a man who contacted Petraškienė, claiming to be his owner.
Petraškienė felt like the man in question was kind and loving, but she knew she couldn’t be sure that he was the genuine owner.
So, she decided to speak to a local animal shelter, who agreed to help her hold the dog while the mess was cleared up.
The animal shelter made a Facebook post talking about the incident, where they said that the pup – named Torio – may have been harmed by a neighbor in a horrific attempt at revenge.
This is believed to be the case because the type of anchor used is made from machine parts that only one individual in Torio’s village can access.
For now, things are looking up for Torio. It seems like he may be able to return home soon, and as though the person who harmed him will soon be caught.
If not, there will still be people lining up to give him a better home!
