Rainbow Bridge: NH SPCA Rescues Neglected Dog Living In Squalor: - 'This One Really Hit Me'

[Sugar Cookie]

The New Hampshire SPCA assisted the Barrington Police Department in the removal of a severely neglected dog from a home Wednesday, which, they said, was living in squalor.

The dog is now in the care and custody of the New Hampshire SPCA in Stratham and is expected to make a full recovery.

“Responding to calls about cruelty or neglect is what I’m used to,” said Tona McCarthy, an investigator for the NHSPCA. “This was a particularly severe case involving just a truly sweet older dog. It’s always difficult, but this one really hit me.”

The NHSPCA was called by a concerned community member reporting what appeared to be an extremely skinny dog. Upon follow-up, they discovered Striker, a 10-year-old mixed breed, was living in squalid conditions with dog waste all over the floors. They said the dog’s ribs were easily visible through his skin, hips protruding, and his eye sunken.

The dog’s owner voluntarily surrendered Striker, they said, realizing the dog could be living a better life.

Upon arrival at the NH SPCA, Striker was able to eat and drink and officials said he seemed genuinely grateful for the care he was receiving. The veterinary exam showed a body scale score of 1 on a scale of 1-8. He was emaciated and dehydrated.

Veterinarians said Striker is suffering from an apparent injury or infection in his ears, and what appears to be an untreated abscess in his mouth. Striker, they said, has needed veterinary care for some time but has received none.

“Striker will have a fairly long road to recovery,” said Lisa Dennison, executive director of the New Hampshire SPCA. “We will be feeding him four times a day, providing medical treatment and helping to ensure that he carefully regains the weight that he needs. He is a very lucky dog to have been rescued before it was too late."

NH SPCA rescues neglected dog living in squalor: 'This one really hit me'

“This was a particularly severe case involving just a truly sweet older dog,” said Tona McCarthy, of the SPCA.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

 

[Babs]

Poor baby! I hope he recovers well. I'd like to know just what the hell was wrong with the owner and if he/she is going to be held accountable.

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Striker can come live with me. He'll be happy here and he'll get all the food and love he wants.

 

[Metalfan]

Clicked on the wrong one today!

 

[BuffettGirl]

If it doesn't work out @Crazy Cat Lady, there's more than enough room at my place for Striker!

 

[Busy Bee]

I’d like to see the owner, folded in half, in a tiny cage, no food or water for a week or so. He has to go to the bathroom right where he is. Striker is skin and bones, poor baby!

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

If it doesn't work out @Crazy Cat Lady, there's more than enough room at my place for Striker!

@BuffettGirl, it’s a deal!

 

[Sugar Cookie]

New Hampshire SPCA​

·

We want to share our deepest thanks to everyone that followed the story of Striker, a dog rescued back in January from neglect and appeared nearly starved. So many of you were interested in him and what he’d been through and how he was recovering. We are truly grateful for you support and concern. Sadly, the news is not good, but we knew you would want to know what happened.
As you may recall, Striker had been with the same family his whole life but in recent times, he wasn’t receiving the care he needed. By the time someone called us to report a ‘skinny dog’, Striker was not much more than skin and bone. Weighing in at only 36 pounds with a body condition of 1 on a scale of 1-8, Striker was suffering. Thankfully, someone did call, and we were able to investigate and intervene for this sweet old boy. We are so grateful to that person who alerted us to Striker’s plight.
The brutal discovery was, unfortunately, yet to come. Striker was not just severely underweight but was also suffering from untreated lymphoma. After he’d been here a short time and was eating but not gaining weight, we knew something had to be underlying his condition. With no veterinary records from his former owner, we had to begin diagnostics. Soon we learned that Striker was a very sick boy and would not be the recovery success that we all had prayed for.
We looked into his big brown soulful eyes and knew that we loved him enough, even in such a short time, to relieve his suffering and let him go.
While Striker was here with us, he received so much love. His tail went from being tightly tucked between his legs to wagging at the mere sight of visitors. He ate four meals a day and even took naps snuggled up next to volunteers. He went for multiple walks around our building daily, wearing the finest homemade doggie sweaters to keep his thin little body warm. He greeted every human along the way with a smile. Striker left this earth feeling loved and cared for, despite his illness and his past. Not every rescue story ends perfectly, but Striker’s story ended surrounded by people who genuinely and deeply cared.
To read more about Striker, check out our newsletter which will be arriving in homes early next week.
Thank you for all the wonderful things you do for animals. Give yours a big hug from us.

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Heartbreaking. RIP, Striker, you were a good boy.