PHOENIX -- A critically injured dog found lying on the side of the road in Phoenix is recovering at a no-kill shelter.

Phoenix Police Officer Gary Potts found the Rottweiler, later named Abe, near 28th and Van Buren streets and took him to the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA's veterinary clinic.

The dog, believed to be about 6 years old, was covered in lacerations and had a large gash across his head. A section of muscle had been torn from his back leg, and one of his ears was almost completely severed.

A veterinarian determined Abe was most likely attacked by a group of dogs.

The veterinarian and clinic staff cleaned and sewed Abe's wounds and were able to reattach a large portion of his ear. They worked on and watched over him from the time he arrived shortly after 7 a.m. until about 8 p.m.

Abe eventually moved into an employee's office and, although shy and under medication, has started to greet people in the hallway.

"Every animal deserves a chance for a happy and healthy life and, although this is an extreme case, it is the core of what AAWL & SPCA does day in and day out," President and CEO Judith Gardner said in a statement.

Abe will be available for adoption once sufficiently recovered.
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