Dog allegedly stabbed by owner gets second chance at life

PHOENIX - A dog who nearly died after being stabbed repeatedly is getting a second chance at life. The hound dog has been on the mend for a month and now, he's ready for adoption.

Copper is a survivor. The staff at the Arizona Humane Society didn't think he was going to survive. But here he is, and he's ready to give some love to a new family.

3-year-old redbone hound dog Copper is gaining confidence little by little but sometimes, he gets cared and feels insecure. He's a month into his recovery after police say his owner, 26-year-old Andrian Aliguin, stabbed him. The Humane Society responded to the call on July 9 and quickly rushed Copper to its trauma center.

"He was covered in blood," said Kelsey Dickerson, spokesperson for the Arizona Humane Society. "He had lacerations on a few different parts of his body."

Humane Society staff didn't know if he was going to survive. But luckily, they learned his wounds wouldn't affect his nervous system or his spinal cord.

"He shouldn't have survived these attacks," Dickerson said.

But he's a fighter and is now relearning the basics. Every day, the Humane Society Behavior Team is working with Copper to gain his trust with the hopes of finding him a new family who will give him the love he wants and deserves.

"He's more on the shy side," Dickerson said. "He's a little grumpy after being stabbed — who wouldn't be. He's just a wonderful dog, his story is a miracle."

Copper is now up for adoption. You can stop by the Humane Society on Hatcher and North 14th Street if you'd like to say hi and see if he's a good fit for your family.

And just a reminder, the Humane Society responds to more than 7,000 cruelty calls a year, but a new House bill will be going into effect on August 25, making these cases a felony offense.