There is one less dog barking on Wagner's Lane this evening after the dog which goes by the name "Ganja" and which has become somewhat of a neighborhood legend was put to sleep this morning.
As we reported last night, ganja was shot in his back on Monday night when the area of Wagner's Lane known as Jump Street came under attack from a masked gunman. Keith Swift reports on the latest casualty of the apparent gun war on the mean streets of the city.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning 7NEWS returned to the scene of the shooting on Jump Street accompanied by veterinarian Jane Crawford and her assistant Vern who agreed to treat the injured dog. "Ganja," as he is called was moved from the street side drain he's been in since he was shot on Monday night. And while he's been holding up despite the injury, residents tell us that the dog's condition worsened overnight. That was confirmed after a quick inspection by Dr. Crawford.
Dr. Jane Crawford, Veterinarian
"When I checked the hind legs and the tail there was no response at all so it was already paralyzed. The bullet went in right beside the spine, the thoracic area, what we call the thoracic vertebrae and that's right just above the rib cage and so it went it in and it angled downward and the bullet is still inside the body. It broke two of the ribs because when I probed the wound you could feel the broken bones."
And as the vet inspected, Ganja's owner Edith Myvette watched with bated breath. She herself came within inches of being hit by the wanton spray of bullets on Monday night.
Edith Myvette,
"Me dah the one who would have got the shot 'cause I was right where the dog was and as I did so in my padlock to open my padlock, I heard boom boom boom and I could have been the one instead of the dog. But people normally say better the dog than a human being feel a bullet because I don't know how I would have taken it if I got that 9 in my back, I don't know how I would have taken that. So I don't know, we prefer see the dog than a human being but the dog is just like God because they spell the same way only that dog is back way."
Dr. Crawford's diagnosis was that the 8-month-old pooch was paralyzed leaving them with really only one choice - to put "Ganja" down.
Dr. Jane Crawford,
"For an animal they would drag around and eventually they would injure himself just by the dragging on the ground. Once the spinal nerves like that he also can't control urination and defecation so the best thing to do is just to put them out of their misery."
Within seconds, we counted only 8, of being administered the lethal injection Ganja was put out of that misery. He was bagged and taken away. And if you are thinking this was just another dog well tell that to his owner Edith who says Ganja was small in size but made up for it in heart.
Edith Myvette,
"People call ah 'Patlicka' but if you come front of our yard, you can come call him 'Patlicka' and then you will see what is 'Patlicka' because the whole crowd of them will bum rush you. It is not anybody can come around here how they want to because we have our dogs and we train them good, very good."
But even as it is with humans - it seems that on these gritty streets, no training could have been enough to prepare this dog for stray bullets.
Ganja's corpse was handed over to the city council for disposal. This morning's procedure, which was performed at the request of 7NEWS would normally cost about $60. Dr. Jane Crawford operates out of the Animal Medical Center located corner Castle and Lancaster Streets. Police meanwhile are still looking for the shooter, no word on whether he will be charged with "dog-slaughter."