Cheryl Hill has been rescuing dogs for a long time.
She opened Mostly Mutts no-kill animal shelter in rural Sunbury in 2000, 12 years after she began taking in sick and abandoned canines on her own.
As of now, she has more than 80 at her site, which she says is actually a bit less than she's housed in the past.
Both Hill and her shelter were thrust into the spotlight last week when word spread that a puppy had been thrown from an embankment in the
Springfield section of Coal Township. She was called upon by the pit bull's initial rescuer and immediately drove the wounded puppy to Sunbury Animal Hospital. The puppy was barely breathing, couldn't walk and was suffering brain trauma.
Hill thought it had already died.
"I never encountered this much attention, and I don't like it," Hill said matter-of-factly Tuesday night. "It's difficult and stressful."
The stress comes from the amount of chatter she's heard from others about the female puppy, named Harper after a pit bull puppy that survived abuse in Florida.
"I'm trying to make decisions with a clear head and block out other people's opinions," she said. "I wasn't sure if I made the right decision over the weekend."
That's when Harper, in the hospital about one week, had a setback and wasn't able to hold its head up, and was suffering from eye problems.
But things are looking up for the 3-month-old brindle puppy.
Despite the setback, its health is improving gradually and, on Tuesday, it took its first steps since it was injured. The steps were wobbly ones, Hill said, but a positive sign nonetheless.
A long-term prognosis for Harper's recovery remains unknown, for now.
"The biggest thing is going to be when all the medicine's gone," Hill said, "to see if it's going to hold its own."
Hill didn't have much to say about the young Shamokin couple accused in the incident. She acknowledged the public outcry about the allegations but said the criminal charges don't matter much to her.
"Through this whole thing, I'm concerned with the dog," she said.
Mostly Mutts has received hundreds of dollars in donations for Harper's care - for which Hill was quite grateful - some coming from area transplants now living as far away as Florida and California.
The shelter has also experienced a spike in requests from people wishing to volunteer. There's been another spike, though, and that is in the increased number of people looking to give additional dogs to the shelter for care.
"I feel bad because I have to turn people down," she said.
Adoption requests for the injured puppy are pouring in.
If Harper is put up for adoption, those interested must go through an application process, reference checks and a home visit.
They'll likely also be faced with long-term and continued care for the puppy as it grows older, which means costly veterinarian bills. The bill so far could reach $2,000, Hill said, adding no one knows what the long-term effects will be or how much care Harper will require.
All things considered, Hill said she'll be looking for the "best home" for Harper, assuming everything goes well with the puppy's health.
For more information about Mostly Mutts, including about the adoption process or how to sponsor any of the shelter's dogs, visit www.mostlymuttsonline.com.