A young dog found wrapped in a tarp and dumped in murky water inside an Oklahoma City drainage culvert is fighting for her life after being shot multiple times, with fragments still lodged in her head. Oklahoma City Animal Welfare officers pulled the dog, now named Adaline, from the culvert near I-240 and Pennsylvania Avenue after responding to several 911 calls Sunday afternoon. She is less than a year old.
The tarp covering her body was weighted down with metal, according to KFOR. Veterinarians who examined Adaline found five or six fragments lodged in her head, and Misty Wilson, a registered veterinary technician and founder of Angel Fund OKC, said the puppy shows significant swelling and bruising across her body. She arrived covered in filth and fleas, Wilson said.
Adaline is now receiving intensive care at Neel Veterinary Hospital, a 24-hour emergency and critical care facility equipped with a fully staffed ICU and CT imaging, according to background compiled by Neel Veterinary Hospital. She has bruised lungs, per Wilson, and caregivers are giving her fluids while monitoring her lungs, sinuses, and neurological state. Wilson said Adaline suffered prolonged abuse, and she has large areas of swelling consistent with blunt force trauma. Veterinarians say fragments have not penetrated Adaline's brain.
A Timid Puppy With A Long Road Ahead
Wilson described Adaline as very timid, sweet, head shy, and distrustful, noting she has difficulty making eye contact and walks with her head down. Wilson said the first 24 to 48 hours are critical, and Adaline's recovery remains uncertain because fragments remain lodged in her head. Angel Fund OKC has already secured a committed foster home for her once she is stable enough to leave the ICU.
Wilson said Adaline was seen with some unhoused people near a Casey's off I-240 and Pennsylvania Avenue before she turned up shot and abandoned in the culvert. She believes someone knows what happened to Adaline. Oklahoma City Animal Welfare is asking anyone with video evidence or who witnessed the incident to contact dispatch at 405-297-2255.
A Familiar and Troubling Pattern
Adaline's case follows a strikingly similar one that Angel Fund OKC handled just weeks earlier involving Mango, a French Bulldog who survived being shot twice in the head and thrown from a moving vehicle while severely malnourished at just 12 pounds. Angel Fund OKC said bullets had passed through Mango's head, and the dog began walking within 48 hours despite extensive facial and skull fractures.
Dumping an injured animal in a culvert carries its own legal exposure beyond cruelty charges. Under Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 §§ 1691 and 1692, abandoning a domestic animal along streets, highways, or public places is explicitly prohibited by state law, according to the Animal Legal & Historical Center. Separately, under Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 § 1685, willfully or maliciously torturing, beating, maiming, or killing an animal is a felony carrying up to five years in state prison, up to one year in county jail, or a fine of up to $5,000, per Justia Law.
Veterinarians who suspect abuse also operate under their own legal obligation. Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 § 1680.3 requires licensed veterinarians who suspect animal cruelty to report their findings to law enforcement within 24 hours, according to the Wirth Law Office, which notes the statute also shields good-faith reporters from civil liability.
As of September, the agency reported caring for roughly 700 animals across its shelter and foster network, periodically waiving adoption fees to relieve overcrowding.
For now, Adaline's fate hinges on the coming days in the ICU and whatever tips come in from residents near I-240 and Pennsylvania Avenue. Angel Fund OKC continues to seek donations for Adaline's specialized ICU treatment and for fostering other animals in its network.
