Duct-taped dog recovers at shelter; deputies searching for owner

The Darlington County Animal Shelter has been flooded with calls and emails in the last 24 hours regarding a certain dog that entered the shelter on Monday afternoon.

Aurora, a black Great Dane mix, was given a sheriff’s escort to the Darlington County Animal Shelter on Monday after deputies found her wandering around the 900 block of Rogers Road with duct tape around her head and mouth. The tape was safely removed and she was taken to the shelter for treatment.

Deputies are continuing to search for the owner or any information regarding the dog.

After examining the dog, shelter personnel found that the tape was just the beginning of the dog’s health problems. Holley Fambrough, director of the Darlington County Animal Shelter, said Aurora came in slightly underweight with lacerations to the bottom of one of her rear paws. She also had several types of fecal worms and tested positive for heartworm. Fambrough said heartworm treatment is a long and expensive process.

“Treating heartworm is extensive and takes a significant amount of time,” Fambrough said. “It’s very costly, also. Heartworm treatments cost around $1,000.”

Fambrough said donations from the community would lessen the financial burden significantly. Once Aurora is treated for her heartworm and fecal worms, she will need to receive standard shelter health procedures including multiple vaccinations and have a microchip implanted.

“We are going to treat her from start to finish,” Fambrough said. “She’s doing fairly well but we need to raise the funds to get her treated medically.”

For now, the next step for Aurora is to recover and be cared for in a medical foster home. Fambrough said that because of the circumstances, Aurora will be held at the shelter for longer than the normal holding period, which is around one week. Fambrough expects to keeps Aurora under the shelter’s care for at least the next two months.

Aurora was named by shelter personnel after the Disney princess. Fambrough described her as being a respectful, gentle and very curious 4-year-old Great Dane mix. Though Aurora has a lengthy road to recovery ahead of her, Fambrough said she thinks Aurora will one day have her fairy tale ending.

“We’ve gotten quite a few emails and personal calls from people interested in adopting her,” Fambrough said. “Ultimately, she’s going to do fine.”

Anyone interested in donation to the Darlington County Animal Shelter can do so at www.darlingtonhumane.org. People can also donate to the shelter in person at 1705 Harry Byrd Highway.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Duct-taped dog recovers at shelter; deputies searching for owner."