BOSTON (WHDH) - MSPCA Law Enforcement is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an animal cruelty conviction after a severely emaciated dog was found near death in Canton last month, officials said.
A pair of good Samaritans stumbled upon the dog, who has since been named Glitch, near Massasoit Community College on the evening of July 30, according to the MSPCA.
When the dog was delivered to the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center, veterinarians were shocked by Glitch’s condition, describing him as a “starving bag of bones.”
The 1-year-old pit bull mix weighed only 15 pounds, an astounding 35 pounds less than a healthy dog his age, the MSPCA said.
“This is one of the worst cases of neglect I have ever seen,” said Dr. Maria Brandifino, who examined the dog in Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care Unit. “When he arrived my first thought was: how could he have even survived this?”
Glitch was said to be hunched over so completely that Brandifino believes he spent most if not all of his life confined to a tiny cage.
He was immediately started on intravenous fluids and was slowly administered food, which he consumed rapidly.
“We’ve had to place him on a rigid refeeding protocol to ensure he doesn’t gain too much weight too soon, which itself can be very dangerous,” Brandifino said. “But the bottom line is that someone nearly starved this dog to death.”
Glitch has since been moved into foster care, where his recovery can be closely monitored.
Anyone with information about the dog is urged to call MSPCA Law Enforcement at 800-628-5808.
Animal cruelty is a felony punishable by up to seven years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
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