BOSTON (WHDH) - The MSPCA says a dog at the center of an animal cruelty case in Roxbury is on the mend after suffering from what its staff considered “the worst case of intentional starvation they have ever seen.”
Hours after the Boston Police Department announced the arrest of Lakeida Burris, 36, who was wanted on outstanding warrants for two counts of Animal Cruelty, the MSPCA provided an update on the three-year-old dog she had allegedly kept.
“Jobee,” a male Pit Bull-mix, was “lucky to be alive” after he was discovered living at a Roxbury home on July 4, according to the animal welfare organization. The dog had been experiencing extreme emaciation and was brought to the Angell Animal Medical Center for intensive treatment.
“Jobee weighed only 24-and-a-half pounds when he was first brought to Angell—or about half his healthy body weight according to the veterinary team taking care of him,” the organization stated in a news release.
“This is the worst case of starvation I’ve ever seen in a dog and I’m stunned that he survived,” said Dr. Kiko Bracker of Angell’s Emergency & Critical Care Service. “He had no food in his stomach or digestive tract, which had all but shut down. And we needed to be very, very careful in nursing him back to health.”
Jobee was also said to have suffered from open wounds due to lost circulation to his extremities. Due to necrosis, part of his tail had to be amputated, the MSPCA said.
Within two weeks after he was admitted and given IV fluids, officials said Jobee was able to start eating solid foods and was later discharged from the animal hospital on July 19 before being taken in by the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center.
Burris was arrested by Boston PD in the area of Ernst Street on Wednesday afternoon, months after being listed on the department’s “Most Wanted” list. She appeared on the list after officers were called to her address in early July.
While police said Burris was not home at the time police visited, several children were. During a sweep of the apartment, officers found Jobee.
At the time, officials said, officers “observed an extremely malnourished and emaciated dog.”
Boston police said Jobee was abandoned near a dumpster shortly after officers left Burris’ home.
Later speaking in court, Burris’ defense attorney argued his client was not there, saying the dog is owned by another person.
“When she found out there was a dog in the house, she told them ‘That dog should not be in the house,” the attorney said.
Burris was previously charged with animal cruelty in 2022 when a previous dog she owned needed to be euthanized because of neglect.
Now facing new charges, Burris is being held without bail pending final surrender before she’s held in the amount of $1,500. Burris will then not be allowed to have animals in the home.
As Jobee recovers, MSPCA personnel have said he will survive as they’re now seeing sparks in the eyes of a dog that had been just days away from death.
“I’ve been working at the MSPCA for 29 years and have seen many law enforcement cases of negligence but I honestly can’t say I’ve seen a skinnier dog that’s still alive until we met Jobee,” said MSPCA-Angell Director of Adoption Centers and Programs Mike Keiley. “It’s pretty tragic. He couldn’t even really fully walk or stand on his own when he came in.”
“We’ve seen in previous cases that dogs this neglected essentially give up and do not recover—but it was clear from the first minute in our care that Jobee wanted to live,” he added. “[Jobee] inspired us all and captured every heart along the way.”
Officials said Jobee is at the point in his recovery where he could be adopted soon. A second dog that was in the home when police arrived in July has been placed in a foster home.
Burris is due back in court in September.
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