PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (WYMT/Gray News) – A pit bull led animal shelter employees in Kentucky to a hanged dog.
About two weeks ago, workers at the Floyd County Animal Shelter noticed that someone dumped spoiled meat on a trail behind the shelter. The trail is often used by shelter volunteers and staff to walk the dogs at the shelter.
Shelter managers Elexis Craft and Allison Cobern reported it to the county because they did not want any of the shelter dogs to eat it. When they returned to the trail to see if it had been cleaned up, they realized something had been eating the spoiled meat.
Craft and Cobern continued up the trail and were met by a stray pit bull.
“You could tell that something was really bothering him, and he just kept barking at us and walking towards us and then running. So me and Lexi said, ‘Well, let’s just look around,’” Cobern said.
The pit bull led them to a nearby ditch, and they saw a dog that appeared to be tied to a tree with no slack on the rope.
“They tied him into a place where they wanted us to never find it,” Craft said. “As soon as I seen it, I could just not stop saying, like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ Like, it did not feel real to me to see him hanging there.”
They tried to help, only to realize the dog was dead. Cobern said it appeared to have hanged to death and had likely been dead for days, based on the decomposition and maggots present.
“We both stood there for a couple of minutes, just in complete shock,” Craft said. “Seeing him and just the condition he was in, I mean, it was one of the most horrific sights I have ever seen.”
“That dog bashed his face up or maybe he was already bashed up before they tied him up. Maybe they beat him. We don’t know,” Cobern said. “There’s claw marks in the tree where he tried his best to just be able to breathe just to live a little bit longer.”
The first dog, which the shelter has named Ludwik, was determined to get help for his friend. Sadly, it was too late.
“The dogs were so bonded. Ludwik refused to leave his friend,” Cobern said. “I had to physically put him on a leash and carry him away as he was nuzzling his dead friend’s body.”
Eventually, they were able to get Ludwik away from the other dog, now named Nakusha by the shelter.
After contacting law enforcement and filing a report, the workers said they were then tasked with removing Nakusha’s body because they could not bear the idea of leaving him there.
The shelter shared the story on social media hoping to find out who was responsible for leaving Nakusha.
Craft and Cobern said the post immediately began gaining attention, with donations pouring in to help with vet bills for Ludwik.
The shelter cremated Nakusha, and the cost of the service was immediately covered by an anonymous donor.
Nakusha’s remains will be placed in a small urn that can be attached to Ludwik’s collar to allow him to stay by his friend’s side.
Although Ludwik is now adopted and getting the care he needs, the shelter still wants justice for Nakusha.
“We just want to make sure that those animals in the future are taken care of,” Craft said. “And that’s all we’re here for, is just to try to battle the abuse for animals in Floyd County, because it is absolutely horrific.”
They are asking the public for any information that could lead them to the people or person responsible for leaving the dogs on the property. Donors have also been sending money to be used as a reward for the person who leads the police to the person responsible.
“Even if you’re not sure it would help, it may help. We’ll take any information you have,” Craft said.
On Saturday, the shelter hosted a 5K fundraiser in honor of Nakusha.
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