"We've got to try for Beatrice:" Burned dog to undergo procedure

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals (MECA) has announced that Beatrice, the badly burned dog that was stolen from her home on March 13th and found 11 days later at Potawatomi Bingo Casino cold and badly burned, will get help from board certified, John A Weigelt, DVM, MD; a trauma and critical care specialist and surgeon from Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

On Monday, April 28th at 1:00pm Dr. Weigelt will team up with Dr. Marla Lichtenberger, DVM, DACVECC at the Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals to apply heterograft (pigskin) to Beatrice’s second and third degree burns.

Dr. Weigelt is hoping the pigskin will “take” and give Beatrice at least two weeks of good coverage that will allow some areas of the burn to completely heal.  He cautions, however, that Beatrice will continue to need wound care and future skin grafting to completely heal her third degree wounds..

“The use of pigskin is a well thought out plan to treat burn wounds, but it is a temporary fix,” said Dr. Weigelt. “This type of procedure is usually followed by auto grafting with either skin grafts from the patient or if not enough skin is left unburned, then cultured skin products. This is not a simple solution for a very difficult problem,” added Weigelt.

“We’ve got to try for Beatrice,” stated Dr. Lichtenberger, Critical Care Specialist and owner of MECA.  “We owe it to her! She has come this far and has maintained a very happy and loving attitude to this point. If we thought she was suffering, we would do the right thing,” noted Lichtenberger.

Nevertheless, well-wishes from across the country and abroad continue to pour in sending good thoughts, prayers and gifts to Beatrice in hopes that she makes a full recovery.

A $2,000 reward was announced by Animal Fairy Charities for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for stealing and burning Beatrice and

$3,000 has already been collected to help with Beatrice’s medical bills.

If you would like to make a donation to help Beatrice, please CLICK HERE.