Puppy shot with 18 BBs adopted; Rock Hill suspect released on bond

The puppy that warmed hearts across the nation after surviving torture, allegedly at the hands of two Rock Hill teenagers, has been adopted, officials said Wednesday.

Brody, a 6-week-old lab mix that was shot nearly 20 times with a BB gun, was adopted Tuesday by a local family and their 10-year-old daughter, said Alicia Schwartz, vice president of Project Safe Pet, which handled the puppy’s adoption.

The family was chosen from hundreds of applications sent to Project Safe Pet since Monday, when news of Brody’s abuse broke.

“It was hard,” Schwartz said about selecting Brody’s new owners.

Schwartz said the girl was devastated when the family’s longtime pet died. When the family met Brody Tuesday, the puppy fell asleep in her arms. The puppy will likely remain in veterinary care for a few more days.

“We thought the connection between the child and everything was really cool,” Schwartz said.

The rescue agency has learned that Brody was part of a litter of puppies that was being given away in the parking lot of Walmart on Dave Lyle Boulevard, Schwartz said. So far, investigators have not been able to locate the owner.

On Wednesday morning, one of the two teens accused of shooting and throwing a knife at Brody was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond.

De’Monte Ty’Juan Douglas, 17, is charged with ill treatment of animals. Magistrate Judge Dolores Williams granted Douglas a $5,000 personal recognizance bond; he was released from jail just before 11 a.m. His next court appearance is in April 18 at the Moss Justice Center.

Douglas and a 14-year-old co-defendant are accused of shooting the 6-week-old lab mix nearly 20 times with a BB gun and throwing a knife at the puppy, according to warrants.

Both teens live at Wildwood Springs apartments, where a utility worker on Sunday saw a group of 15 to 20 juveniles playing with a black puppy. The worker checked on the puppy a few minutes later and saw that it was bleeding heavily.

Police took the puppy to Ebenezer Animal Hospital, where doctors found 18 BBs lodged in the dog’s skin and muscle. Hospital employees later named the puppy Brody.

Douglas spoke softly and at times hung his head while standing before Wiliams, who approved him for a court-appointed attorney. He told the court that he has lived in Rock Hill for about four years, and that he has been arrested before, but not as an adult.

Douglas said he is a sophomore at Rock Hill High School. His mother, who was in court Wednesday, told the judge he goes to school every day but that his grades are “up and down.”

“He was having issues with algebra, but he’s getting tutoring for that,” she said.

Douglas and his mother declined to speak with reporters as they walked out of the Rock Hill Law Center after his release.

Detectives petitioned the 14-year-old suspect to Family Court and released him to his parents, pending a court appearance. Per state law, the boy’s identity is protected because of his age.

Check back for updates.