RICHMOND, Va. — A severely emaciated dog was found outside the office of the director of a Virginia animal shelter, and now investigators are trying to track down the person who abandoned it.
In a Facebook post, Richmond Animal Care and Control said the dog was found outside Sunday morning, unable to stand, with dirt pouring out of his mouth. The dog was immediately taken to an animal hospital, where his temperature was too low to read and his blood pressure wasn’t strong enough to start an IV. Fortunately, veterinarians were able to monitor him through the night and were able to put an IV in Monday.
RACC Director Christie Chipps-Peters told WTVR a security guard initially found the boxer-pit mix on Sunday. “He was completely emaciated. He was freezing cold. His little paws started to turn under, which is what we see when death comes often,” Chipps-Peters told WTVR. Chipps-Peters told WTVR she estimated the dog was only 30 minutes away from death when he was found.
Chipps-Peters told WTVR she doesn’t believe the dog is a stray. “The dogs we have trapped that are feral dogs, they’re fat and smart and find food. Usually the dogs that are emaciated and horribly neglected like this is a human at cause.”
Police are reviewing surveillance videos to investigate the case, WTVR reported.