A Navy veteran wounded in combat during the Vietnam War is being hailed for his generosity in helping a puppy shot multiple times and left for dead.
On Nov. 7, authorities found Dara, a 6-month-old hound mix, hiding under a house in Hollywood, a small rural town in South Carolina. Bullets fractured her leg and paw and caused other injuries.
Her plight prompted Vince Bertolini of Summerville, S.C., to contribute $1,000 toward her recovery.
Bertolini told WCBD-TV he could feel the dog’s pain given what happened to him in Vietnam. He suffered shrapnel wounds to his legs after a soldier near him stepped on a land mine.
“When I got hurt, all I wanted to do was hide, and Dara did the same thing. She hid under that house,” Bertolini told the Charleston Post Courier.
The 30-pound pooch met her benefactor for the first time Saturday at the Charleston Animal Shelter. She limped around with red casts on two of her legs.
Veterinarians said Dara should be fully recovered in a month. She is on the mend at a foster home.
“I just want her to end up in a loving home,” Bertolini told the newspaper. “In good time, she’ll forget about all this.”
Fox Carolina reported Friday that authorities are still looking for the dog’s assailant. A $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
