HAMLIN, Pa. — Humane Officer Marci Zeiler is showing Hank around his new home, for now, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, after rescuing him and 10 other dogs from what Zeiler calls an abusive home in Hamlin.
"When I got to the house, there was a camper, there was a lot of trash around, but you immediately got that death smell, so I knew there was a bad situation coming," said Humane Officer Marci Zeiler.
Officer Zeiler saw Hank trapped in a camper, "Him and every dog in there couldn't have been nicer."
But Zeiler says not every dog survived, "There were about 10 deceased animals in the trailer that were decomposing as well, so the conditions were pretty horrific."
Griffin Pond adds that if they didn't rescue Hank when they did, they predict he wouldn't have lasted another week, "Used to rate body conditions of animals, Hank's score is still the absolute lowest while still being alive," said Nancy Reese, kennel manager.
But horror stories like Hanks are becoming the new kind of normal at animal shelters.
Kennel Manager Nancy Reese tells Newswatch 16 how all of these animals found themselves trapped in a trailer after being sold from sites like Facebook marketplace.
"There have been several cases that we've been made aware of people getting their animals on social media, and cruelty has been involved causing death to some of them," said Reese.
A story that Griffin Pond says can be preventable by getting pets spayed neutered and the current owners are in the place.
"Being able to keep them long term, and they're not on social media pulling them off of social media or Craigslist just going to turn around and flip them for money," added Reese.
To protect dogs from living through what Hank has in just the early years of his life.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.