Abused dog continues to recover

Sherman is now the property of Humane League of Lancaster County.

But his former owner will have a shot to re-adopt the young badly injured Shiba Inu once its medical care is complete.

Sherman was injured Saturday when someone tossed him from a gray pickup truck driving west on Route 30, near the Marietta Pike overpass.

Since then, Humane League officials have been trying to identify Sherman's owner and determine who threw him from a moving vehicle — and why.

Some questions remain unanswered.

"We have positively identified the owner," Becki Meiss, director of marketing for the League, said Thursday. "But Sherman was not in the care of this individual at the time he was thrown from the truck."

Animal cruelty officer Keith Mohler is still investigating the identity and motive of the person who opened the pickup's passenger door on Saturday and hurled Sherman to the road.

As of Thursday, Meiss said, she could only say Sherman was not stolen.

"We still have not identified the individual responsible for throwing him from the truck. The owner had gone out of town, as we understand it, and had entrusted the dog to a friend," she said. "What happened after that is unclear."

The owner, identified only as a Lancaster resident, opted this week to give up the dog for adoption.

"She's extremely distressed by the entire situation," Meiss said. "But, faced with Sherman's expensive medical needs at this time, his owner has decided to relinquish ownership to the Humane League."

The League will cover the cost of Sherman's medical care, which has been estimated at $1,500 to $2,000.

Sherman sustained a fractured pelvis and dislocated hip, as well as numerous lacerations and bruising in the incident.

The dog underwent surgery on Monday to clean his wounds.

Christine Runnels, an orthopedic surgeon with Lititz Veterinary Clinic, was scheduled to begin an operation Thursday evening to fix Sherman's pelvis and hip.

VIDEO: Sherman in 'high' spirits, awaits more surgeries

The extent of the surgery, Meiss explained, would depend on what Runnels found once Sherman was on the operating table.

Meiss said Sherman will need six to eight weeks for rehabilitation after the surgery.

"We're just trying to focus on getting Sherman the care that he needs," she said.

"Once he has recovered, (the owner) will absolutely be able to fill out an adoption application and be the first considered."

tknapp@lnpnews.com