A dog that was stolen from her home in Milwaukee and set on fire by a disturbed criminal has now made a remarkable recovery, after specialist animal doctors performed groundbreaking skin graft surgery that saved her life.
The six-year-old Chihuahua mix, named Beatrice, suffered burns to 90% of her body following the horrific attack in March 2014.
Christopher Hanson, 22, was sentenced to 18 months prison after taking Beatrice from her owner’s yard while he walked home drunk one night and set her on fire in his bathtub ‘to see what happens’, prosecutors said.
Beatrice was then rushed to the Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals.
Doctors were able to perform a life-saving operation using pig skin.
The skin was grafted onto Beatrice’s back and helped heal her wounds.
The surgery received attention from around the world and is believed to be one of the first of its kind.
Dr. Marla Lichtenberger, critical care specialist and the owner of the Milwaukee, told Fox 6 Now: ’90 percent of (Beatrice’s) body was burned and she was in horrible shape. We never thought she was going to survive.’
