Doberman rescued off Las Vegas mountaintop

He shouldn't have survived.

That's all John and Pat Getter, founders of nonprofit Doberman Rescue of Nevada, could think when they got a call to help an animal that had been stranded on a mountaintop for some time.

"He was emaciated when rescued and probably wouldn't have lasted even a few more days," John Getter said.

Nobody knows how the Doberman -- dubbed Sonny because the mountain where he was stranded, Frenchman, is adjacent to Sunrise Mountain -- found his way inside the fence of a cell tower at 4,500 feet. What people can agree on is Sonny was one lucky dog.

"A hiker actually came across him and called the cell tower company, who called us," Getter said. "He was rescued and then taken to Lied Animal Shelter, and after a few days, we were asked to take over."

Getter said he was taking care of another rescue dog that was abandoned by her owners after the family became a victim of foreclosure when the pair got the call.

"It's a mystery how he even got up there," Getter said. "The area is only accessible by ATV."

According to Getter, Sonny was checked into the vet's office in late April at just 35 pounds.

"That is unheard of," Pat Getter said. "A full-grown male Doberman should weigh at least twice that."

Pat Getter said Sonny was so emaciated that the bones of his spine were protruding, making him resemble a dragon.

The Getters also said the dog sustained a neck injury, with a gash 2 inches long and more than an inch deep across the front of his throat.

No conclusions have been reached about how Sonny sustained the injury, but Getter said vets agree it had to have been done intentionally.

"It looks like someone cut his throat," he said. "It's not the type of injury he could have just had happen to him accidentally. That makes all this even worse. Somebody did this to him intentionally, and we may never know who or why."

Getter said the important thing is to focus on the fact that, despite the odds, Sonny made it.

"He is alive, and that's a miracle in and of itself," Getter said.

Getter said doctors at the West Flamingo Animal Hospital , 5445 W. Flamingo Road, where Sonny is housed for observation, have expressed concern about the workings of his pancreas and making sure the dog gains enough weight to survive neutering.

"He has already gained a few pounds, but we aren't out of the woods yet," Getter said. "They are watching him closely to make sure he can bounce back a healthy animal, ready to be adopted by a loving family."

Getter said he already has received a number of applications from people in the valley interested in adopting Sonny.

"That is a process that's more involved than you think," he said. "We do background checks. It's detailed. We want to make sure you're the right fit for any dog we have so that both dog and new owner are happy. This isn't like buying a Chevy."

Getter said the process is the same for every dog the group takes on.

"We want to find these dogs a forever home, not a forever backyard," he said. "When it comes to Dobermans, the love you get is so much more than you could ever return. But we are looking for adoptive families who are willing to try."

Contact Southwest and Spring Valley View reporter Amanda Donnelly at adonnelly@viewnews.com or 380-4535.