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Last updated on Tuesday, February 2, 2016
(MICHIGAN CITY) - Authorities say a man wanted in connection to a severely beaten dog found on Christmas Day in Michigan City has been arrested in El Paso, Texas.
The Michigan City Police Department and LaPorte County Sheriff's Office say U.S. marshals arrested Richard Cope on Sunday night at an El Paso home. Cope was wanted on a felony warrant and misdemeanor charges in the abuse of the pit bull that has come to be known as Chance Christmas.
According to authorities, Cope was identified as a suspect and fled the area after a warrant was issued Jan. 11. Authorities say U.S. marshals got involved when investigators learned Cope had fled to Texas.
The Munster Times reports Chance Christmas, the 4-month-old puppy who wandered into a Michigan City backyard Christmas evening with two fractured hips and a snout strapped closed with electrical tape -- is making a full recovery.
On Jan. 2, Dr. Aaron Jackson, a veterinarian with MedVet Chicago, repaired the puppy's shattered femoral heads in both hips with a nearly two-hour surgery, said Sherri Christopher, founder of the Guardians of the Green Mile, the Portage-based dog rescue that assumed financial responsibility for the puppy when he presented on Christmas night at North Central Emergency Veterinary Center in Westville.
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