TAMPA, Fla. — Suncoast Animal League in Tampa rescued a dog after she received burns during a house fire, last month.
"You watch the dog's courage, you understand she's a fighter. They understand she's a fighter here," said Rick Chaboudy, executive director of Suncoast Animal League.
Denali receives around the clock care at BluePearl, an animal hospital. The dog is sedated and receiving general anesthesia daily for her pain.
Pasco County deputies arrested the dog's owner, 40-year-old Brandi Currigan, for arson at a house fire in Lutz, Florida last month. Deputies said she is separating from her husband who is in Iraq working for a private security company.
Suncoast Animal League said in a Facebook post, "Things were not going well for the married couple. The husband was away. The wife was at their home preparing to remove her belongings. Then something went terribly wrong. She began vandalizing the house."
According to arrest documents, Currigan dumped paint over the walls of the home and set fire to the house where Denali lived.
"At some point, she confined Denali in a separate room from the other seven dogs and started the fire. It appears that Denali was targeted as retribution towards her husband," Suncoast Animal League said in the Facebook post.
Denali received burns on more than 35 percent of her body.
Suncoast Animal League said it cost about $1,600 each day for BluePearl to care for the dog.
"We're a little over $8,000 now and it's only going to go up from here because as you can see she's not ready to walk out of here yet," said Chaboudy.
The nonprofit organization is paying for the vet bills. Chaboudy said the veterinarian gave her a 50/50 chance of survival, but they remain hopeful.
"When we first came in they said 50/50 chance and I think sometimes it has dipped below that 50/50 and sometimes it has gone above that 50/50," said Chaboudy.
"Fortunately, she's having more good days than bad," added Chaboudy.
To help defray the cost of Denali's recovery, you can donate to the Suncoast Animal League on their website by clicking here.
