*Warning: Some of the details of this story may be upsetting to some*
The Humane Society of Greater Niagara is on the hunt for the previous owner of a dog found in severe neglect.
Officials at the agency were called on April 11 after a dog was found dumped in a parking lot near some rocks around the George Nicholson Memorial Trail in St. Catharines. Jacob, a young bully hound mix, was unable to walk or even stand, sporting open sores on his legs and hips.
“Jacob probably spent very little time outside of a crate, if any,” said Cindy Dunne, the executive director of the Humane Society of Greater Niagara, explaining that his fur is permanently discoloured from being left to sit in urine and feces.
Dunne says this case is about as bad as it gets, adding that Jacob was completely emaciated and unable to drink water from a bowl because “He doesn’t know how.”
In the past few weeks, the sores have begun to heal, and officials say Jacob is slowly gaining weight and showing a little more enthusiasm for walking.
“It’s unbelievable what the body can withstand. You would think that a dog like this wouldn’t have a chance, but he’s certainly improving every day,” said veterinarian Dr. Lisa Van Lammers, who adds they are bumping up his calorie intake every couple of days.
Dunne says it’s not uncommon for someone to make a trip out of town in order to dump an animal.
“There is no judgment in bringing an animal to the shelter and looking to surrender that animal, or having a conversation about how to keep that animal with its owner.”
Officials say they have not had any luck with local tips, so they are expanding their search for Jacob’s previous owner across southern Ontario in the hopes that anyone who may know anything about the dog or his circumstances will contact them.
There are several reasons why they want to find the previous owner, the first being that they can learn something about his medical history, which will help direct his care moving forward. The second, depending on the overall circumstances of the case, criminal charges may be justified.
