MSPCA seeks owner of dog brought to hospital that nearly starved to death

The MSPCA is asking the public to help them find the owner of a young dog that had nearly starved to death when it was brought to the non-profit’s Boston animal hospital last week.

A pit bull terrier mix that the MSPCA has named “Dolly” began receiving lifesaving treatment in Angell Animal Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after she was brought to the hospital in the early morning on Jan. 10, the animal welfare non-profit said in a press release. The roughly 2-year-old dog was extremely emaciated, and the person who brought her in claimed to have found her outside Lexington.

“When this dog came in, she was unbelievably thin and too weak to stand up,” MSPCA animal protection vice president Mike Keiley said in the release. “On the scale we use to measure a dog’s body weight, she had the lowest possible score — meaning she was as emaciated as she could be before passing.”

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Early examinations by emergency department veterinarians revealed that Dolly had wounds on her feet and tail and gastrointestinal bleeding that required a blood transfusion, the MSPCA said. She soon had several seizures believed to be caused by hypoglycemia.

“It’s fortunate that Dolly was brought in when she was,” Keiley said. “She was in desperate need of medical attention.”

The MSPCA’s veterinarians have Dolly on a careful re-feeding plan and are monitoring her constantly to ensure that she does not develop serious complications from reintroducing food too quickly, the non-profit said. The dog is expected to remain in the ICU for at least a week.

“Her prognosis is guarded, but with continued around-the-clock care, we’re hopeful that she’ll recover,” Keiley said.

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MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement is investigating how Dolly became so sick. They ask anyone with information about her owner to contact the department by phone at (617) 522-6008 or (800) 628-5808, or online at mspca.org/tip.

“Right now, we’re very concerned with how she came to be in this terrible state, and we need help from the public to learn more,” Keiley said.

Dolly’s veterinary care is expected to cost more than $15,000, the MSPCA said. Those willing to donate to help offset that cost are asked to give at mspca.org/dolly.

“Staff treating Dolly say that she’s incredibly sweet — despite what she’s been through,” Keiley said. “We’re hopeful that with the incredible 24/7 care she’s getting at Angell, we’ll be able to help her heal and eventually place her with a family that will show her the love and appreciation she deserves. But that’s far down the road.”

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