‘She is a miracle’: Dog recovering after being stabbed in domestic dispute

GASTONIA, N.C. — Animal advocates say it’s a miracle that a dog stabbed in Gastonia earlier this week is still alive.

Clementine is a four-month-old German Shepherd, and she’s on the road to recovery at a rescue in Union County.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned that a woman stabbed Clementine with a butcher knife. It allegedly happened during a domestic dispute with her boyfriend.

Gastonia police said the woman got mad with her boyfriend on Monday and grabbed a knife. His dog happened to be the easier target.

Advocates say they’ve heard this story before, but this case is shocking.

Looking at Clementine playing on Friday, it’s hard to imagine that she nearly lost her life.

Operators with Forgotten, Now Family Rescue said Clementine went to an animal hospital first, then to her rescue.

“The knife actually missed vital organs, which is shocking because of the size,” said Chrissy Elder with Forgotten, Now Family Rescue. “We laid there looking at her post-operation and going ‘Oh my God, how is she with us?’ So she is a miracle.”

The four-month-old pup still has scars on her back from the operation to save her life. Early on, she had serious trust issues.

“She could not be touched. She would fall over to the floor. Every time you would look at her, she would start whimpering and fall over out of fear,” Elder said.

Some of that is gone now, and Clementine is enjoying her time with Elder.

“She is finally getting what she needed all along, and I think she just wants to hold on to that with everything she can,” Elder said.

According to Elder, about 80,000 people responded to Clementine’s story on the rescue’s social media pages. So many people are rooting for her in this improbable recovery.

“This is the rest of her life. We will make sure she goes to an incredible home,” Elder said.

It will still take a while to heal, and Clementine may need more surgery. She will be in foster care for another three to six months, but Friday is Clementine’s last day with the rescue.

Lemon learned that the woman who allegedly stabbed the dog, Leslie Hernandez-Paredes, was charged with felony cruelty to animals.

(VIDEO: ‘It’s sickening’: Report shows SC 18-year-old was stabbed more than 30 times)

‘It’s sickening’: Report shows SC 18-year-old was stabbed more than 30 times

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