Henry the Golden Retriever was walking alone in obvious distress. Police officers discovered him and were stunned—not only was Henry homeless and in need of immediate care, but he also had a tumor that nearly doubled his weight. For a tumor to gain 46 pounds indicated that Henry had been neglected for an extended period of time. The cops could not comprehend what he had gone through.
The tumor was so enormous that he couldn’t even use the toilet properly. His condition was distressing. The cops knew they had to act fast, and it had to be done right away. Various veterinarians refused to operate on Henry because they considered the risk too great. Then, finally, they found a veterinarian who was willing to take a chance on the deserving dog.
Although the operation was costly, charitable donations covered it. There was no longer an excuse for any dog owner to let a tumor get so big. Even if medical treatment proved prohibitively expensive, there were programs in place to assist people with financial difficulties or other problems such as homelessness or domestic violence. Henry’s owners were just plain cruel.
Police determined that Sherri Haughton of Newport Beach was Henry’s original owner after further research. However, she claimed to care for him as a stray and that he was already carrying the massive tumor. Officers saw right through her tale, charging her with animal cruelty and neglect, as well as obstruction of justice for providing false information to the medical facility.
Nothing short of a miracle occurred when Henry changed his ways. So many people wanted to abandon him, but the officers who knew he was a real doggie warrior wouldn’t let them.
