The Lexus Project. An image posted on Facebook of Lexus Project staff with Star.

Here’s your hourly update on Star, the pit bull shot in the head by a police officer on 14th Street.

The miracle mutt is now in the care of the Lexus Project, which describes itself as “a law firm for dogs” that provides “legal defense on a case by case basis for dogs we believe are improperly or unfairly facing dangerous dog designations or euthanasia.” The organization, based in Kew Gardens, Queens, writes on Facebook that the dog, after losing an eye in surgery yesterday, is bound for a rehabilitation facility “where she can rest and be pampered on until she goes for her behavior assessment. From there, she will be placed into her forever home.”

That means that all the folks clamoring to bring the perseverant pooch into their homes need to hold off. Instead, the Lexus Project urges people to adopt another dog “on death row.” “If everyone of the people who contacted me adopted a dog on death row, there would be 60 — yes 60 — dogs alive at the end of today instead of a lonely and frightening death,” the organization wrote on Facebook. Read more…

Animal Care and Control Star chews on a toy, undeterred by her missing eye.

The pit bull who took a bullet from a police officer on 14th Street and lived to tell the tale had surgery today to remove her left eye, as well as metal fragments still lodged in her skull.

“Star had suffered soft tissue, bone, head trauma, and eye damage as a result of her wounds,” said Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the city Animal Care and Control, which handled care for the dog, Star. “She suffered a significant degree of hearing loss, but her hearing is coming back and the vision in her right eye also seems to be improving.” Another photo…

A Facebook page set up in Star the pit bull’s honor features photos of the pooch before she was shot by a police officer in the middle of 14th Street. The photos show the dog lounging on the street with humans and other mutts, and in one photo checking out a rat. The Facebook page also includes chatter about Star going into surgery tomorrow, possibly to have an eye removed. A spokesman for Animal Care and Control did not respond to a question regarding further treatment for the dog. Meanwhile, The Daily News reports that the dog is “recovering at lightning speed.”

Courtesy Animal Care and Control of NYC

The pit bull that was shot on 14th Street has been turned over to the city after her owner failed to fetch her, and The Local has obtained the first photos of Star since she was shot while charging a police officer on Aug. 13.

Richard Gentles, a spokesperson for city Animal Care & Control, said Star’s owner failed to claim her by a deadline of 8 p.m. yesterday, at which point she was released to the agency. Once she leaves the care center in East Harlem where she’s been recovering, she’ll be turned over to the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals, a coalition of non-profit animal shelters and rescue groups aimed at insuring that animals are adopted rather than killed in city shelters.

Mr. Gentles said his agency had arranged for what had come to $10,000 in medical treatment, most of which will be paid for by donations. He said Star was still resting and not ready for visitors, but – as with three previous status updates – her condition is improving.

See another photo…

Melvin Felix The scene of the shooting.

Readers as far away as Argentina, South Africa, Los Angeles, and Texas have been asking for updates about Star the pit bull. Here’s the latest: ten days after she was shot by a police officer on 14th Street,  Star is doing “fairly well,” according to a spokesman for city Animal Care and Control.

“She is eating and moving around more,” the spokesman told The Local, adding that the organization is accepting donations to help with the pit bull’s care.

Meanwhile readers of The Local are debating whether pit bulls are dangerous animals. A commenter named Mike said his previous dog died after being attacked by one. “The Pit got away from his owner who was attempting to walk three pit bulls at the same time,” Mike wrote. “He could not help get his animal off of my friend Abby, a beautiful yellow lab. If I had a gun that day I would have shot that animal and saved Abby’s life.”

Penny Brumfield disagreed, saying that pit bulls are lovable and loyal dogs. “Because of the media and t[h]ugs the pit bull has got a bad name,” she said. “If you remove every pit, there would still be another breed to take its place.”

Mary Robbins said it could’ve happened with any other dog: “Any breed of dog, that sees their owner being kicked, or any other kind of abuse would get very defensive and that is what had happened here.”

Melvin Felix After the shooting, this cop car with a kennel in the trunk likely hauled the wounded pit bull to a veterinarian.

The pit bull that took a bullet in the middle of 14th Street last week continues her remarkable recovery. “She is showing more signs of improvement,” wrote a spokesman for Animal Care and Control. “Her swelling has gone down and she is more alert.”

Meanwhile, the debate continues on The Local’s Facebook page regarding whether the shooting was justified. Graphic video of the incident shows that the dog, named Star, did indeed lunge at the police officer who shot her. But most commenters believe that deadly force was unnecessary. “Star was doing what she was suppose to do,” wrote one reader. “If you watch the video in entirely you see for 9 min they did not even attend to her owner still on the ground. This was not justified.”

“That cop will remember this for the rest of his life and if he owns dogs at home I hope he doesn’t do this to his own pets,” wrote another. “I smell a huge lawsuit against that cop and the N.Y.P.D. for not helping Star and his owner.”

Melvin Felix The scene on Monday.

Star the pit bull is still hanging on for dear life after being shot by a police officer on 14th Street Monday.

On Tuesday, a police source said the dog’s prognosis was not good, but yesterday a spokesman for Animal Care and Control of New York City told The Local that the feisty mutt was still in stable condition at a shelter in Harlem. Today that spokesman said, “Star’s condition is still serious, but thankfully she is showing signs of slight improvement.”

It’s still unknown whether the dog, if it survives, will be returned to its owner, who was passed out on the sidewalk when the shooting occurred and was arrested for an open warrant related to an open container charge.

On The Local, commenters debated about who was to blame for the shooting.

“That’s a sad story. But I wouldn’t want to get bit by that dog,” wrote Delphine Blue, apparently sympathizing with the police officer who fired the shot. Read more…