Shelter Dog Under Investigation For Brutal Attack On Stuffed Hippo Friend.

Talk about a bum rap! If you’ve ever been accused of doing something you didn’t do, and in fact were only trying to help, then you’ll be able to relate to the plight of this poor, misunderstood pup.

Hank, a 4-year-old Chocolate Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix, and his bestie, Fuzzy Purple Hippo, were housed until just recently at the Fox Valley Humane Association in Appleton, Wisconsin. There they waited, playing and keeping each other company until someone came along who felt that special something and bring them into the family fold.

But the best friends landed in some hot water recently after an after-hours escape attempt went horribly awry. Poor Hank suddenly found himself the sole suspect in Fuzzy Purple Hippo’s near-beheading.


When shelter staff arrived on the morning of July 11, they made a grisly discovery: Fuzzy lying nearly lifeless inside her and Hank’s kennel, surrounded by clouds of stuffing.

Fortunately, doctors intervened quickly enough to save her life, then fitted her with a dreaded “cone of shame”to prevent further injury. But how could their sweet Hank have turned so suddenly and viciously against his friend?


Meanwhile, their sole suspect remained mum about the incident, likely to prevent incriminating his friend in what later turned out to be a break-out attempt gone horribly wrong. He suddenly found himself locked in a dimly lit interrogation room. It was a classic Catch 22: By telling the truth, he’d implicate his best friend and possibly be charged as an accomplice. But as we all know, lying — especially to the fuzz — is just plain wrong.

While all this was going on, Fuzzy Purple Hippo underwent several sessions with a counselor “to be sure that there are no underlying issues and that she is not suffering from any emotional scars from her injuries.â€

Wisely, Hank invoked his right to a shelter-appointed attorney, who “advised him to plead the 5th.â€


Picketers even showed up to prove his innocence.

In an effort get to the bottom of things, a K9 unit was dispatched to the scene of the “crime,”where the investigator and his sniffer sidekick began the process of gathering evidence.

 

Hank was finally exonerated after the discovery of a key piece of evidence: A clump of stuffing that was wedged near the top of the chain link door that separated their kennel from the rest of the facility.

So what really happened on that fateful night? Fuzzy Purple Hippo wasn’t trying to make a break for it, not in the traditional sense. She was just trying to get out so she could unlock the door for Hank, then grab some snacks and “snuggle and stargaze”in the fresh night air.

Such a simple plan, and it would’ve gone perfectly if she hadn’t gotten caught in the chain link wire.

“Hank slid his bed to the door, made a mountain of his blankets, and climbed atop it all until he could stretch high enough to rescue his damsel in distress,”the evidence showed, then was forced to wait for the morning shift to arrive and provide the life-saving services Fuzzy Purple Hippo so desperately needed.

While the saga may have been tragic, it does have a happy ending: All that publicity reached a couple who’d been looking to add to their family, and they’ve since taken in Hank — and, of course, Fuzzy Purple Hippo!

Watch the video below to hear the conclusion of the case, and share to spread happiness!

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