ENCINITAS, Calif. - A roughly 3-month-old puppy found with a rubber band embedded in her neck is recovering and her new family will finalize her adoption Thursday, according to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
Believed to be a Labrador retriever mix, Bindy was dropped off last week at the county Department of Animal Services. Workers saw a deep cut around her neck and discovered the rubber band deep in her skin after they shaved some fur.
"We knew that Bindy's story would touch the hearts of animal lovers," said Kathy Zerkle, vice president of adoption services at Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
"She was found last Wednesday night by a San Diego man who took her to the county of San Diego Department of Animal Services facility in Mission Valley," Zerkle said. "The next morning (animal services) medical officials saw an abscess around her neck. They performed surgery, removing a small rubber hand that had cut deep into her skin. That probably saved Bindy's life."
She said Bindy's former owner might have forgotten about the rubber band or thought it would break when the puppy outgrew it. That's not what happened.
Zerkle said the dog was underweight, had a deep wound all the way around her neck, and was having difficulty standing on her hind legs.
Her new family, from Carlsbad, will finalize adoption arrangements, but Bindy won't go home with them until she's spayed next week, according to the Humane Society. Adopted animals in San Diego County aren't allowed to go home until they're spayed or neutered.
Information about adopting animals at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society is available online at www.sdpets.org, by calling 760-753-6413 or by going to the facility at 389 Requeza St. in Encinitas.
