Sick, malnourished dog abandoned in apartment
Louisville, KY (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jul 1, 2011
County: Jefferson

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

In the last three years, the number of abandoned animals in homes, apartments or other buildings has skyrocketed, officials said.

Metro Animal Services said it's coincided with the tough economy.

Animal abandonment happens quite often in Louisville when residents are evicted, have a house foreclosed on or move because finances have been cut.

"We've treated him with supportive care for a week and he hasn't improved as much as we would like," said Erin Jewell. "He's still unable to stand. He still has pretty severe tremors."

Jewell is a veterinary technician at Fairleigh Pet Center in the Highlands. She wasn't prepared for this patient.

"I was at work last Tuesday, July 1," she said. "One of the receptionists came to get me because I'm one of the head techs, and said that somebody had walked in and found a dog abandoned in an apartment."

Jewell said the cleaning crew of a Highlands apartment complex found the boxer in an apartment that had been vacated for days.

The dog was starving, dehydrated and in poor condition. Care needed to be immediate.

"When I saw the dog's condition I just could not send him out the door," Jewell said. "So I took legal and financial responsibility for the dog."

She set out to save the boxer that she named Cracker Jack.

"You know, when he was eating, he would eat everything you would give to him," she said.

In an apartment with no food or water, Cracker Jack found other objects to eat.

"We thought he had a big foreign body or mass in his belly," said Marie Gagnon of Farleigh Pet Center.

It was a towel.

"We found a little piece of towel so just gently pulled it out," Gagnon said. "So he ate a towel."

"He presents like a dog who had potentially gotten into something. That was the first thing that came to my mind," said Forrest Cummings with Metropolitan Veterinary Specialists.

Cummings said Cracker Jack's tremors could be from a toxin, genetic condition, malnutrition or worse, distemper, although that's unlikely.

Cummings said they understand financial hardships, even foreclosures, but this didn't have to happen.

"There are avenues that you can take. No Kill Louisville has a food bank; they help people. All the shelters will take animals in and try and help rehome them," he said.

As for Cracker Jack, everyone is hoping for the best.

"Overall, I feel optimistic that hopefully this won't be fatal," Cummings said.

"He definitely has the will to live," Jewell said.

Jewell said Cracker Jack looks like he's a puppy, but that may not be the case.

Other features show he may be a young adult boxer that has had developmental issues because of malnutrition.

Vets said so far, his blood work is good. He's alert, and has a desire to play, which is a good sign.

References

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