How Dumbo was found after deadly shooting incident in Mills River

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News

After Hayden Elias Brook allegedly exchanged gunfire with Henderson County Sheriff's Office deputies near the North Mills River Campground on April 13 and died at the scene, a German Shepherd with Brook when the incident happened ran off into the woods.

"Dumbo," a service dog owned by Sarah Tuggle, sits in her car as he's taken to his veterinarian in Tennessee on April 25. The dog sustained three gunshot wounds after a shooting incident on April 13 near North Mills River Campground.
"Dumbo," a service dog owned by Sarah Tuggle, sits in her car as he's taken to his veterinarian in Tennessee on April 25. The dog sustained three gunshot wounds after a shooting incident on April 13 near North Mills River Campground.

Twelve days later, "Dumbo," a service dog owned by Sarah Tuggle, Brook's former girlfriend, was found by Tuggle and other family members. The dog had three gunshot wounds: One in the neck that went through his jaw and left fragments, breaking four teeth before lodging in his shoulder muscle; one in the neck that went straight through; and one in the leg that broke his leg bone.

Dumbo was taken to his regular veterinarian in Johnson City, Tennessee.

"They said he's doing good. They are going to let us know when they can do surgery on his jawbone, and to get the bullet out of his muscle," Tuggle said from Veterinary Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee on May 1.

Finding Dumbo took days of driving back and forth from Tennessee. Tuggle said they owe it all to EPIC Animal Recovery, a pet recovery service based in Fletcher.

"We wouldn't have been able to find him without them," Tuggle said.

More: Sheriff releases names of deputies in Mills River officer-involved fatal shooting

More: Cause of death revealed in Mills River officer-involved shooting; dog found wounded

EPIC Animal Recovery lends a hand

Two days after the shooting, EPIC Animal Recovery got the call from the family to help, according to Michelle Wilson, the founder of EPIC.

"I was made aware of the situation by Tanya Alstott at EPIC and was asked to assist on the afternoon of April 15," Wilson told the Times-News on April 26. "I met up with Chris Ware, a local volunteer with Labor of Love Transport, who also assisted throughout the recovery."

Wilson said EPIC took its dog, Seeker, to track Dumbo's blood trail, but due to multiple people searching for the dog, the blood trail was lost.

"The days to follow were saddening. Everyone had given up. They just knew he was deceased," Wilson said. "But we didn't find a body. Seeker is trained in decomposition. So Chris and I planned on going out on another day, but we got rained out."

Sarah Tuggle hugs her service dog, "Dumbo," after the dog was found on April 25 in Mills River. The dog had been lost in the woods for 12 days following a shooting incident in which the dog was injured by three shots.
Sarah Tuggle hugs her service dog, "Dumbo," after the dog was found on April 25 in Mills River. The dog had been lost in the woods for 12 days following a shooting incident in which the dog was injured by three shots.

Dumbo is spotted for the first time

No one had seen or heard from the dog since the incident. Then, on April 23, there was a glimmer of hope.

"Tanya sent us a picture that had been sent in. It was Dumbo," Wilson said. "Chris got out there and set out some food where he was seen. Dumbo’s mom came down the same day. I came out and we got a few trail cameras set up in the area with food, in hopes of catching him on camera so a humane trap could be set."

April 23 came and went, with no sign of Dumbo. The next day, Wilson said Tuggle went with some family members to the area where Dumbo had been seen.

"Chris met up with them to go over some things. At that moment, they saw Dumbo and the gals took off after him. Chris tried to stop them," Wilson said. "Unfortunately, it is very counterintuitive to not chase a loose dog, especially one in a situation like this. People truly want to help, but it does more damage than good, normally."

"Dumbo," a service dog owned by Sarah Tuggle, sits at her home after being treated for three gunshot wounds from an April 13 shooting incident near North Mills River Campground.
"Dumbo," a service dog owned by Sarah Tuggle, sits at her home after being treated for three gunshot wounds from an April 13 shooting incident near North Mills River Campground.

A happy outcome

Wilson said chasing a loose dog can be very detrimental to the recovery efforts. She knew she needed to have a meeting with family members to explain what they should do if they saw Dumbo again.

"They didn’t want to tell me what had happened, but I already knew. I told them to stop chasing Dumbo or else. I gave them specific instructions on what needed to be done based on Dumbo’s behavior," she said.

Family members went back to their home in Tennessee and got their other dog, who is Dumbo's best friend, Wilson said. They made their way back to Mills River that same night and got a hotel room so they could get an early start on April 25.

"After about five minutes, sure enough Dumbo showed up, and they did exactly what they needed to do," Wilson said. "Dumbo came out and actually went to go to jump into the vehicle, but then he saw them playing with the other dog. There was fresh food, and he couldn’t resist and that was all she wrote. He ran up to them, tail wagging."

Tuggle said they do need help paying for the medical bills. Anyone wishing to make a donation can call the Veterinary Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee, at 423-282-4113.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: How a dog with gunshot wounds was found after Mills River shooting

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