SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, Pa. — A humane officer was called to check out the condition of some animals at a property in Susquehanna County. What she didn't expect to find was a dog in horrendous shape.
Last week, Lackawanna County Humane Officer Marci Zeiler received a call for help from the Susquehanna County dog warden regarding animals in rough shape on a property near Montrose.
Ofc. Zeiler says there were two dogs in poor condition, and they were able to take one back to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter to check out.
"There was like mold and skin infection growing underneath her coat, so once we once we shaved her down, we got the condition a little bit easier to see."
Ofc. Zeiler says they named the dog Libby. She's a great Pyrennes mix and about one year old. The breed is estimated to be about 85 to 110 pounds. Libby weighed in at just under 29 pounds.
"It's one of the worst emaciation cases that I've seen in quite some time. It is horrific, and the dog couldn't be sweeter. She was friendly. She allowed all the handling, all of the vet care. It's just really a shame to see a dog in that in that condition. Nothing deserves that," Zeiler said.
Once she realized how bad the case was, Ofc. Zeiler says they took Libby to an emergency vet for her skin condition and to make a plan to get Libby back to a healthy weight.
"It's going to be a slow recovery. Anytime you have an emaciated one that's this severe, you do have to take it. There's like a refeeding program that has to go on. You have to put weight on very slowly, or you know you could do more harm than good."
Ofc. Zeiler says she's seen an increase in cases like Libby's. She believes these things happen because money gets tight for people but having a pet is a responsibility you can't ignore.
"This is not acceptable. It's never going to be acceptable. So if this is a situation with these conditions, we are always going to pursue charges."
Libby is on the road to recovery but has a long way to go and is being cared for in a foster home and will remain there until this case is closed.
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