Some say that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their pets. Apparently there are a few really bad people here.
Humane Shelter staff arrived to work on Tuesday morning to find a ball of filthy fur in a cage outside. It had been left after the shelter closed on Monday (yes, animals still need food and water on a holiday).
The ball of fur turned out to be a small dog, so matted that it almost looked the same on both ends. One eye was completely matted over and only half of the other eye was visible.
It appeared the dog had 2 tails and it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female. The dog couldn't walk and the only sound it made was a small whining noise.
Staff took the dog inside and gave it some food and water. A small, almost white tongue came out of the fur. Just from holding the dog the staff ended up covered in fleas and flea dirt.
A call was made to groomer Kimberly Boyett. She arrived just after lunch to try and find the dog inside the mat. After about an hour and several changes of the blade on the electric shaver, the little dog had a face, ears, body and a tail again. Her name is now Cookie, because as Kimberly said more than once during the process, she is a tough cookie.
It was thought that is took about 3 years for Cookie to get in that bad of shape. Hard to say why she can't use her hind legs or why she is possibly blind at least in one eye other than the lack of care she has had over these years.
Shelter Director, Beth Eck stated that Cookie is an older dog. She wasn't sure if Cookie would even make it through the shaving process.
Eck says Cookie acts just like a little old lady today, sleeps like a log and eats like a pig. On Thursday, Cookie will be evaluated by a vet. Eck suspects that Cookie has several medical issues but regardless of how much longer she has to live, Eck stated that at least she will be clean and well cared for.
Two things are brought to light in the case of Cookie's extensive neglect. The first is apparent just from the appearance of the dog. The second is the way the dog was left. It is against the law, signs are posted, to just drop an animal off outside the shelter.
Unfortunately this happens too often. On Friday morning of last week, staff arrived to see an empty Bud Light case at the door. Inside the box, that had been in the rain most of the night, were 2 kitten. One dead and the other close to death.
"We are here everyday, and can be reached almost any time in emergencies." Eck said. "It just doesn't make sense that people drop them off like they are leaving trash."
A reward for information leading to the arrest of Cookie's owner is being offered. If you have information please contact the Bainbridge-Decatur County Shelter at 229-246-0101.
