Montanans Step Up to Help Dog Pulled Behind Car Until Collar Broke

We shared a story the other day where somebody had a bird show up on their porch with a blow dart sticking out of its neck. Some people were appalled that somebody would do that to a bird and just leave it to suffer. Others made the case that it was just a pigeon and they were more of a nuisance than anything else. But this story is sure to have everybody on the same page.....or at least I would hope so.

If you remember the "dog scene" in National Lampoon's Vacation - it's one of those situations. A dog in Gallatin County was tied to the bumper of a car and dragged until its collar broke more than half a mile away. In the movie we know Clark Griswold is a good guy. Maybe he wasn't the biggest fan of the dog - but ol' Sparky himself wouldn't do anything so evil on purpose. As for what recently happened here in Montana.....it's still being investigated.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office received a call about animal cruelty call last week and found Marley in a ditch. The dog was in rough shape but still alive. He was taken to a vet where he received emergency care. It's been over a week since the incident - and Marley has some pretty gnarly injuries that'll break your heart when you see pictures - but he's expected to make a full recovery.

A Go Fund Me account was just set up today to help with the cost of treatment for Marley. As I'm writing this the fundraiser has been active for 6 hours, has over 430 donations, and has raised more than $18k of the $20k goal. It's pretty awesome to see so many people make a donation after being moved by the story.

We would like to believe that what happened to Marley was an unfortunate accident - but as of right now there just isn't enough information to know if it was an accident or an intentional act.