Dog Shot By NYPD In East Village Loses An Eye (PHOTOS)

By Ben Fractenberg, Serena Solomon

EAST VILLAGE — The pit bull that survived after being shot by police had her left eye removed earlier this week but is "able to walk, play with toys and eat on her own," a spokesman from New York's Animal Care & Control said.

Police shot the pit bull, Star, on Aug. 13 at East 14th Street and Second Avenue after she charged them when they approached the dog's owner, who was passed out on the sidewalk.

The incident was captured in graphic video footage, which depicts Star writhing around on the street after the shooting. But the dog miraculously survived and has been treated at Animal Care & Control in East Harlem, where it has received medical care that has cost up to $10,000.

"She had surgery earlier this week to remove her left eye, which had not improved in recent days. Vets also removed some metallic fragments lodged in and around that area," said AC&C spokesman Richard Gentles in an email.

"Star had suffered soft tissue, bone, head trauma and eye damage as a result of her wounds. 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."

Star's owner, identified as 29-year-old Lech Stankiewicz, never showed up at the agency to reclaim her. Star will now be transferred to the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, where she will be put up for adoption.

All photos courtesy of New York Animal Care and Control.