If Ally were a cat, she’d have only eight lives left.
As luck had it, she’s a perfectly healthy pit bull today — and thanks to some quick action on the part of several first responders, her single life is more than enough so far, thank you very much.
Ally was heartlessly tossed from the Interstate 310 overpass in St. Charles Parish, La., into an alligator-infested swamp.
She sustained two puncture wounds to the neck, thought to be inflicted by an alligator, over about 45 minutes on a small piece of marsh.
A firefighter hoisted the 70-pound animal up a ladder; from there, officials from the St. Rose Fire Department, the St. Charles Paris Sherilff’s Office and St. Charles Parish Animal Control transported her to the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter for treatment.
It was found that she also suffered from a serious skin infection, believed to have been contracted prior to this incident.
Authorities haven’t determined whether the owner is the perpetrator.
Ally is between 5 and 7 years old.
A local television outlet said the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recognizes October as National Pit Bull Awareness Month in an effort to educate the community about the breed.
“Some people will get them because of a fad or because of a trend,’’ said society spokesperson Destinie Hammond, ‘‘and whenever they realize they can’t care for them, they’ll cast them aside.’’
It’s estimated that there are about 4 million pit bulls in the United States, about 5 percent of the country’s total number of dogs.
No one came forward to claim Ally, so the shelter sought to find her a new home.
In time for Thanksgiving, she was adopted by a family from New Jersey. The shelter reported that the family is delighted with its new addition.
Parish animal control supervisor Angie Robert said incidents like the one that involved Ally are far too common.
“We’re asking everyone to keep their eye out for (animal abuse),” Robert told a local newspaper. ‘‘…[S]o many animals are being dumped or hurt, and they need help too. If you don’t get (Ally), hey, you can get someone else.”
St. Charles Parish, population about 53,000, is located on the banks of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana between New Orleans and Thibodeau.
