Woman carries hurt pit bull 1 hour down AZ mountain - CBS 5 - KPHO

An Arizona woman spent one hour carrying a nearly dead, 47-pound pit bull down a mountainside, the Arizona Humane Society said.

Andi Davis discovered the animal, who had been shot, while she was hiking near 20th Street and Dunlap.

As Davis grabbed her water bottle, the dog lifted its head for a drink, said Arizona Humane spokeswoman Bretta Nelson.  

"Looking around for help, Andi realized she was on her own and did what any good Samaritan would do," Nelson said.

Davis loaded the pit bull into her arms and spent the next hour carrying him a half mile down the steep mountain, where she was met by her husband and 10-year-old daughter.

In a letter to AHS, 10-year-old Jessi Davis said, "When my mom found our new dog on the mountain, my heart broke at the first sight of him. He was torn up. Everywhere." 

The family brought the injured dog, now named Elijah, to AHS, where their Second Chance Animal Hospital veterinarians began to examine the motionless dog.

Vets found an open wound on the left side of the animal's chest. X-rays revealed bullet fragments in his shoulder and bullet in the middle of his neck, Nelson said. The dog was given antibiotics and pain medications.  

Some of the bullet fragments were close to the dog's spinal cord. Veterinarians decided not to operate for fear of causing irreparable damage to the nerves, Nelson said. 

The Davis family knew Elijah was meant to be theirs, Nelson said. 

"The first time Elijah saw 10-year-old Jessi again, it was as if they had been best friends their whole lives," Nelson said.

Elijah just entered foster care with the Davis family Tuesday and he will continue to be observed by the Humane Society's medical team.

In a letter to the Humane Society, Jessi Davis wrote:

"When my mom found our new dog on the mountain, my heart broke at the first sight of him. He was torn up. Everywhere.

"I'm sure she had a lot of trouble carrying him down the mountain at 46 pounds.

"When we took him in to your society, I thought I would never see him again. I new he was in good hands but I still felt very sad.

"I told my parents how this feeling for him was so different. Not just any feeling you felt when you see any stray. They felt the same way.

"I was so, so happy when I got to see him. When I found out we could adopt him and for good, I was thrilled!

"After all you have done for us, I want to help animals, too. Thank you so much for making our lives better." 

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