By Tuesday night, the dog was settled on a soft bed in a Muncie foster home, still too weak to get around much and suffering from infections and other medical problems, but under the loving care of people determined to provide the TLC he’d been lacking.
The animal control officer who picked him up was moved to tears by the apparently abandoned dog’s condition, according to Muncie Animal Shelter Director Phil Peckinpaugh: “A 48-year-old man called me in tears about this dog.”
The dog’s fur was so badly matted, shelter staffers shaved it off before bathing him, and then settled him down for the night in an office at the shelter. On Tuesday morning, he was taken to Care Animal Hospital for testing and medical attention.
Blood work showed no major illness, but his skin was “infected from head to toe,” according to Peckinpaugh. He also had a yeast infection in his ears, and his teeth were in such bad condition they were falling out while he was being bathed, said Lauren Henricks, administrative assistant at the shelter.
“He’s an old dog,” likely more than 12 years old, Henricks said.
On Tuesday afternoon, after returning from the vet’s office to the shelter, the dog was taken in by the Animal Rescue Fund, given the name Arlo and placed in a foster home.
“He’s OK. He’s still really weak,” said Courtney Sheets, assistant to the director at ARF. Officials made a point of placing him in a foster home that has no other animals right now, so he won’t be overwhelmed and “is getting all the attention and love.”
Arlo still couldn’t move around much, and was settled on a dog bed, not really eating dry food yet, Sheets said. On a positive note, however, “We always say they’re OK if they’ll eat a hot dog,” and he had eaten a couple of hot dogs by Tuesday evening, she added.
ARF contacted the city-county shelter Tuesday with the offer to take in the dog, and shelter officials were happy to accept the help, Henricks said.
Arlo will be back at the vet’s office for further checkups, and eventually will need dental care as well, so his medical bills are expected to be high. Donations to help pay for his medical care can be made in Arlo’s name directly to Care Animal Hospital or to ARF, Sheets said.
Meanwhile, animal control officers continued to investigate how the dog came to be in such bad condition, and who was responsible. Officials believe he was dumped in the ditch along North Bennett Road where he was found Monday night, Henricks said.
“Somebody knows something,” Peckinpaugh said. “Somebody has seen this dog in someone’s garage.”
When found, those responsible for the dog’s condition could face charges including abandonment and animal cruelty, Henricks said.
Since news of the dog was announced on the shelter’s Facebook page and thestarpress.com, the shelter has received calls with tips that haven’t panned out, and several people declaring (incorrectly, Henricks believed) that the dog was their missing pet.
Anyone with information about the dog should call the shelter, 747-4851.
(Star Press - Aug 14, 2013)
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