An abandoned dog was found sick and severely emaciated on the front steps of a Waterbury home on Friday.
Animal rescuers in the area are hoping they can give an abandoned dog, named January, a second chance at life.
When January collapsed on the steps, she was between 30 to 40 pounds underweight.
Volunteers at the Brass City Rescue Alliance are working with the Veterinary Emergency Center in Canton to nurse her back to health.
Sarah D’Autorio, the foster coordinator at Brass City, said January is the worst case of neglect she’s seen in her career.
"If she did not get vet attention that night, she was going to die," D’Autorio said. "The minute I walked up on that porch, she had these eyes like 'I need you to fight for me'."
It’s believed that January was abandoned by owners who used her for breeding. The dog may have given birth to a large litter as recently as the last few weeks.
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"Basically, they used her as a breeding machine. They made money off of her puppies then they dumped her. This is pure neglect. No dog would ever end up in this situation with a responsible human, ever," D'Autorio said.
Despite January’s host of severe medical issues, there’s a team hard at work to make her strong again and give her back the love her abusers apparently tried to take away.
"We will do everything that we can to save her. She needs to trust again. She needs to trust the next human’s not going to do this to her," D’Autorio said.
So far, January’s medical bill has totaled close to $3,000 with thousands more in costs expected before she’s well enough to be turned over to a forever family. Her medical bills are covered by donations to Brass City Rescue Alliance.
Rescuers put her chances of survival at 50-50.
Brass City is accepting applications for potential forever families for January. They believe she would do well in a home where her family has lots of patience and love. You can learn more about the application process here.
