A dog is being nursed back to health after being found severely malnourished. Staff at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford say it’s a clear case of neglect.
A dog is being nursed back to health after being found severely malnourished. Staff at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford say it’s a clear case of neglect.
“He’s playful. He seems joyful,” Laura Burban, director at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter., said.
“Chip” the dog is playing with his favorite ball inside the animal shelter. He was taken to the shelter on Sunday after a group of people found him wandering in New Haven. Chip’s condition was dire at the time.
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“He was and still is extremely emaciated. His paws were bleeding in the front, and he just looked like very uncomfortable,” Burban said.
She says Chip was immediately sent to the emergency veterinary hospital for treatment and care.
“They were doing everything from fluids to vitamins to obviously providing slow nutrition, reintroducing it to him,” Burban said.
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Burban says Chip appears to be between 3 to 5 years old and a pit bull mix. His body weight is about half of what a similar dog should be. She says she doesn’t know who his previous owner was, but it’s clear Chip was neglected.
“You can sort of tell even though he has his coat on, that he still has a hunched-over state, which is typical when we see dogs kept in small areas, whether it’s a crate or cat carrier,” she said.
After spending a few days at the vet and gaining a pound, Chip was returned to the shelter. Burban says he’s surprisingly shown trust toward people.
“He was playing, and he’s excited to be here, so it’s pretty amazing to see what a few days of just love can do,” she said.
Burban says this case is very similar to another case in 2017 involving a dog named Hope, who was also found severely emaciated.
“We were able to finally get her rehabilitated and find her a forever home,” she said.
She says Chip still needs to get his shots and be neutered once he’s back to full health, but will be up for adoption in about four to six weeks.
“He’s already got some light in his eyes compared to when we met him on Sunday,” Burban said.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for Chip’s initial condition.
