UPDATE May 6: Another day in court, another delay. Randall Treadway's case hsa been continued to June 3. That's his deadline for a plea. Clearly Treadway's lawyer is hoping to delay this case until no one cares anymore. So we have to let them know we do care about what was done to Annie. Call the Washington County (Tenn.) District Attorney's office and let them know this matters and you want the D.A. to be aggressive in pursuing this. The numbers are 423-753-5020 or 4232-434-6840. Don't let Treadway get away with this. Call the D.A. Demand justice.

And we have happy news tonight: Annie has a forever home. She will be staying with her foster mom, Janet Winn, forever. Janet has put the spark back in Annie's eyes and nursed her wounds, physical and emotional. Annie and Janet have bonded. and they need to stay together. So we have a happy ending for Annie. Let's be sure Randall Treadway gets the ending he deserves, too. Call the D.A.

UPDATE April 8: Animal cruelty charges against Linda Treadway, the owner of the Telford, Tenn., property where Annie was discovered in February, were dismissed after a bench trial April 1 in Jonesborough, Tenn. Cruelty charges are still pending against Randall Treadway, 24-year-old son of Linda and the man who adopted Annie from the Washington Co., Tenn., animal shelter nearly a year ago. After seeing the incriminating evidence presented against him in his mother's trial and hearing the stern lecture Judge James Nidiffer delivered to mom from the bench, Randall Treadway's defense attorney got visions of his client going to jail for up to a year, the maximum penalty. He delayed the next hearing until May 6. No doubt Randall Treadway's defense attorney is counting on witnesses for the prosecution not showing. It's a two-hour drive from Knoxville to Jonesborough and requires missing a day of work to sit in a courthouse with every Oxycontin-poppin' girlfriend-punching, unemployed reprobate in the Tri Cities area.

But we'll be there. And we're going to bring video of Annie crawling across the floor of her foster home because she is too afraid to stand up and walk. Video of the submissive urination that causes her to pee on the floor in fright when a stranger comes near and makes housetraining her difficult. She is a loving dog who adores her foster mom, Janet. But six weeks since coming home from the hospital, Annie is still a fragile dog.  She will get better, but it will take a long time. She needs stability and love. The abuse and neglect is imprinted on her soul. She needs an angel with the patience of the biblical Job.

Tile floors wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

March 8: Annie has been home from the hospital now for 10 days.  Janet , her foster mom, has Annie in a guest room that opens onto an outside deck, but Annie wasn't going out. Then Annie met Moe, a senior basset foster who came to BRBR last week  from the local dog pound. He's a friendly, happy-go-lucky extrovert who is bringing Annie out of her shell. He is showing her how to go out and romp in the spring sun. He's the perfect dog to teach her how to love life. Moe loves lovin' from humans and isn't afraid to run up to a stranger and demand pats. Annie saw Moe getting rubbed, and she followed him right over for her share. It was really funny. Moe may be the one to help lead her back to life.  That's him in the first photo below in the Flickr photo stream. He's white-faced and smiling. Annie's got a long way to go, but she is definitely on the right track. with Moe at her side.  She's a different dog from the one we brought home from the hospital a little more than a week ago.

UPDATE FEB 27: Annie is out of the hospital! She came home tonight with foster mom Janet Winn. Dr. Shelton removed all the stitches and she isn't even in a bandage. She is off her pain meds but is still on antibiotics. Janet reports Annie made the trip home just fine, with no accidents in the crate. "She is a beautiful, sweet and loving girl," Janet says. "Now it's (going to be) work and love she knows all the bad things and people are out of her life forever. It's time to learn how to play, snuggle, love and have fun." Janet says she'll take some photos this weekend when Annie settles in a bit.

UPDATE Feb 25: Annie is still in the hospital, nearly three weeks after being rescued from the harness and the pen. We've posted some new photos on the Flickr page of her wounds. They are healing, but still horrific. Dr. Shelton says Annie may be able to leave the hospital next week. Today's big news: Randall Treadway had his day in court. He showed up without a lawyer and the judge told him to hire one and come back April 1. His mother, Linda Treadway, who owned the house where we found Annie, has also been charged with animal cruelty. She was in court today with her own lawyer.  Both are facing a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail. Treadway is also being asked to pay restiution for Annie's medical bills.  If you haven't already done so , please sign our online petition asking Washington County DA Tony Clark to sentence Randall Treadway to time in jail. It's here.

UPDATE Feb 20: Annie is still making progress slowly. The wounds are healing but it's going to take time. She has been in the hospital for two weeks now and Dr. Shelton says a full recovery is months away. They want to leave the stitches in for 14 days instead of 10. That means if all stays well the suture removal will be Feb. 26 and Annie could come home Feb. 27.She is doing a little better about going outside, not quite as fearful as she was. She is still on all her meds, including the ones for pain, and having daily bandage changes. Her abuser gets his day in court Feb. 25, next Wednesday.

UPDATE Feb. 19: Annie is still in the vet hospital, nearly two weeks after we picked her up from hell. Janet, her foster mom, continues to visit Annie twice a day.  Janet says "Today is the best day I've seen her. She held her tail up to wag and jumped up on the kennel door to greet me. Usually its head barely off the floor,and tail down low wags.She was really sniffing for her cooked chicken that I brought.She even gave out a bark when I left. Yea!!!!" Her bandages are still being changed daily, and she is still on pain meds. Not sure when she can leave the vet hospital.

UPDATE Feb. 17: Janet visited Annie twice and says Annie is doing well. During the afternoon visit, Dr. Shelton's husband was in the kennel room with Annie,  crawling on the floor with her with and giving her treats. It's good she sees that some men are kind. Her wounds are slowing healing and looking much better.She still must be redressed daily, and she still on all her meds. She is walking around more and paying more attention to what is going on around her.These are all good signs. More tomorrow.

UPDATE Feb 13: Annie came through yesterday's surgery just fine. She ate well and is wagging her tail a little bit. Dr. Shelton removed a lot of dead skin from around the wound and sewed a bit of it up. Annie will remain at the vet until at least tomorrow, and then she can return to her foster home. Annie will need a few more of these surgeries to remove the dead skin around the wound. The laceration is so deep and large, it cannot heal without the removal of the skin that dies as part of the healing process. Annie's mental state isn't good. She is afraid of going outdoors and afraid to get in a car. She got so frightened on the ride to the vet earlier this week that she soiled herself. It's going to take a long time for her to trust humans. We've had dozens of inquiries from kind people who want to adopt her, but she isn't ready to go anywhere. She has a long way to go to be well. Her foster mom and the staff at Unicoi Hospital for Animals are showering her with love, so she is in good hands.

UPDATE Feb. 11: Annie had to return to the vet today. Her wound isn't healing too well because it's so "old and deep," the vet says, so they are going to do surgery and try to sew it up a bit. She'll be in the hospital for the rest of the week. Washington Co. Animal Control has issued a citation to her owner. Here's the saddest part: Her abusive owner adopted her from the county shelter last May. She was turned into the county shelter by a backyard breeder. So she went from small-time puppy mill to an abusive owner. She has had two owners and neither of them cared about her.

******

Meet Annie, a lovely basset girl who has had a horrific life. Her owner left a tight harness on her for so long her flesh grew over the harness. When the harness was removed, a nearly inch-deep laceration encircled Annie's torso. Click the url below to see photos of her injury. Warning! They are graphic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leanneland/3270156159/in/set-72157613593806933/

Annie has a long road to recovery. She was released from the vet yesterday after spending several days in the hospital, but she must return every other day to have her bandages changed and her wounds cleaned. The gash around her torso is so severe the vet has left it open so it can drain. Poor Annie is a mess, physically and mentally. Cruelty charges are being filed against her owner.