Police say the 4-month-old female Westie-Poodle mix was still wearing a collar and leash when it was tossed from a car heading north on Highland Avenue in the City of Chester. Witnesses say the car was going at least 35 miles per hour when the dog was thrown.
Mary Alice Pleninger was on her way to work and was behind the car when she saw the puppy being thrown from the vehicle. Pleninger described the car as a four-door gray Honda Civic or Hyundai sedan.
Pleninger told authorities, "I saw the head of the dog come out, then the body".
A car in the next lane swerved out of the way as the puppy hit the roadway. The animal then ran over to the fence alongside the road. Pleninger immediately pulled over and retrieved the dog.
The car that the dog was tossed from allegedly braked but then sped off once Pleninger stopped to rescue the dog.
Pleninger, a security guard and EMT at Harrah's Chester, is trained and certified in animal first aid. She did an initial assessment of the dog to determine if any bones were obviously broken. When she arrived at Harrah's, Pleninger contacted authorities and the dog was picked up and transported to the Delco SPCA Adoption Center in Media where workers have named the dog "Raggedy Ann."
Luckily, a medical evaluation revealed that Raggedy Ann did not suffer any severe wounds but she did sustain a scrape on her back right paw and slight bruising on her lower abdomen.
If you have information as to the identity or whereabouts of Raggedy Ann's owner, you are urged to contact the Delco SPCA at 610-566-1370 x214. Raggedy Ann will be held at the Adoption Center with the hope of an owner coming forward. If no owner comes forward, she will be placed up for adoption on Wednesday at noon.
