FORT KENT — A beagle that seriously injured its paw almost three weeks ago when it was caught in a coyote trap has had to have it amputated. But the dog also has found a new home with caring owners.
The beagle, a female that since has been named Shylo, was found in the trap on Dec. 5, according to Dean Lavoie, who serves as the animal control officer in St. Agatha and Frenchville.
The trap had been legally set in a wooded area of Frenchville and the property owner had been checking it daily, Lavoie said. After the dog was found, the landowner’s daughter-in-law called Maine State Police, who directed her to Lavoie.
The dog’s “right paw was swollen, and she had no collar or tags on to identify her,” Lavoie said. He added that the Fort Kent Animal Hospital also scanned the dog but did not find an identifying microchip. The owner was never found, so the dog became available for adoption after eight days.
That’s when Gloria Bouley and her husband, Rodney, of Fort Kent stepped forward.
Gloria Bouley said Tuesday that she wanted to take the dog in because she had two other dogs before that she had to have euthanized due to old age and illness.
“The poor little thing had no home, and it had nowhere else to go and then it had its leg amputated,” she said. “It was the right thing to do.”
She said she adopted the dog on Dec. 13 and Shylo had her paw amputated on Dec. 17.
Dr. Christina Yule, the veterinarian at Fort Kent Animal Hospital who has been treating the beagle, was on vacation and unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Shylo “is getting used to the place and she’s getting used to living without a paw,” Bouley said. “She’ll make it. We love her so much. She doesn’t even bark. It is wonderful. We love her. She cares a lot for us. It is lovely having her here. It is going to be a good Christmas.”
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