“We’ve named her Cheeseball, because she had a cheese ball container stuck on her head,” said animal shelter director Diane Mollaghan.
The dog showed signs of abandonment and clearly had been living on the street for a long time, according to Mollaghan.
On Feb. 7, animal control officers Blake Koenig, Robert McBain and Jeani Selby responded to call from Bastrop County sheriff’s office deputy Stephen Cantwell, regarding a dog seen roaming the neighborhood with a plastic jar on its head.
After four days of scouring the neighborhood, the hide-and-seek game ended and officers were able to contain her in a fenced yard.
“She was thoroughly freaked out by the whole cheese ball container situation,” McBain said. “She was given food and water immediately after we removed part of the jug, she was definitely more hungry than thirsty.”
Officers removed as much of the plastic jar as possible before transporting the dog to the animal shelter where Precinct 4 Commissioner Gary Snowden performed the final removal of the jug.
Snowden is the commissioner’s liaison with the shelter.
“We have no idea how long the container was on her head,” he said. “Cheeseball was dehydrated and mentally down when they found her, but we are doing everything we can to get that dog back on her feet.”
After an hour on an IV drip, she was stabilized with a fluid replacement before being taken to Bastrop Veterinary Hospital for emergency care.
That same day she was sent back to the shelter to be housed, where officials say she is receiving proper medical treatment.
“Cheeseball is still pretty catatonic and emotionally shut down,” Mollaghan said. “She allows you to handle her but does not solicit human attention, she has never been on a leash before.”
The shelter is currently looking for an experienced foster home, preferably someone with dog socialization experience, to adopt her.
For more information about adopting a pet from the Bastrop County Animal Shelter, call 512-549-5160. The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday and Monday by appointment only.
“I want people to know that this shelter is doing a really good job and I think that people are going to be impressed about how the animals and customers are treated when they come out there,” Snowden said.
(The Smithville Times - February 19, 2013)
