A dog has been given a second “leash” on life as a therapy animal after suffering abuse from an owner.
The dog in question, Mara, has become a therapy dog for special needs kids after being beaten and then hung in a playground last year, NBC 5 reported.
The Keller Police Department said via NBC 5 that Mara’s mission now is to promote increased confidence among kids as well as help them with socialization.
Mara’s previous owner, Arin Bright, was charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals. Bright was convicted of animal cruelty on Thursday but has not been sentenced yet.
An affidavit obtained by NBC 5 details the abuse the dog suffered at the hands of Bright.
Police were called to the Keller Library on July 10, 2022, because of reports of a man throwing things at a dog. When officers arrived on the scene, they heard the yelps of the dog and then saw a shirtless man pick the dog up and slam it onto a car and then onto the ground.
The man then strung the dog up on the monkey bars by its leash. When police approached him, the man took the dog down and returned to his vehicle, according to court documents obtained by NBC 5. Officers subsequently arrested Bright without incident.
Officers with Animal Control took custody of the dog and found additional injuries on the animal, including scarring and evidence of her nails being ripped out of her back paws. Court documents state the charges were levied “because he intentionally, knowingly or recklessly tortured an animal causing unjustifiable pain or suffering.”
Dallas notably saw an increase in animal cruelty incidents between 2021 and 2022, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Experts said at the time that the pandemic may have increased instances of animal cruelty.
A spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department (DPD) told The Dallas Express in December that animal cruelty cases are investigated the same way as homicides.
The DPD is one of the few departments in Texas that has a dedicated animal cruelty unit.
