Veterinarians amputate severely beaten dog's hind leg

The Humane Society of Huron Valley posted an update today on Brownie, a severely beaten 5-month-old puppy who had fractures to her right front leg joint and rear left leg joint.

The Humane Society said Brownie's back leg wasn't healing properly, and the decision was made to amputate the leg.

According to the blog post, "We're sorry to report that Brownie's back leg was not healing properly and was causing her a great deal of pain. Dr. John Gumbs assessed the latest x-rays and consulted with HSHV veterinarian Dr. Meredith Mallory. Based on their findings the decision was made to amputate her leg. Dr. Mallory performed the surgery yesterday.

"The bones were severely splintered and could not mend," Mallory said in the blog post. "We did what was best for Brownie and at this point we do not anticipate she'll need any other surgery. The good news is, she's recovering very well and should be able to adjust to her new situation quickly. We know she'll be back up running around in no time."

Eric Jason Rutley, 29, is accused of beating Brownie - an Australian Shepherd - with a tire iron. He recently was ordered to stand trial on several charges, including felony animal torture.

Authorities said Rutley also allegedly choked his girlfriend and had 10 to 15 marijuana plants in his home, police said.

Rutley is set to appear for a pre-trial hearing Oct. 22 and remains in the Washtenaw County Jail.

Tags: Humane Society of Huron Valley