A severely underweight, scab-riddled puppy named Prudence is pawing her way back to health from what appears to be an alarming case of animal neglect.
Prudence, a five to six-month-old Doberman Pinscher, was dropped off at Allondale Animal Hospital in Surrey Friday.
She was wrapped in an old, torn jacket and at first, staff could barely tell whether she was dead or alive.
”She was curled up in a little ball on the ground and not really moving, and we weren’t sure if she was alive at that point, if she was gonna make it,” said veterinarian Jan Balcar.
It didn’t look good for the small dog in the beginning. Around 90 per cent of her body was infected with demodectic mange, a condition that occurs when an animal’s immune system is depressed by things like improper nutrition, leading to an outbreak of skin mites.
Balcar said the person who brought Prudence in told staff she had been found in a nearby neighbourhood, but didn’t leave any other information.
Prudence is now being cared for at the Surrey Animal Resource Centre. Animal Control Manager Kim Marosevich said the Doberman puppy has a long recovery ahead of her.
“She’s emaciated. She’s a dog who weighed 28 pounds on Friday,” Marosevich said. “She’s in very, very poor condition.” By comparison, a female Doberman Prudence’s age should weigh about 40-45 pounds, making her almost 20 pounds underweight.
Animal control is trying to gather as much information as they can to try to find out how it happened in the first place.
“We know that people know who she is and know about her and we would like an opportunity to find out more about her,” Marosevich said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Surrey Animal Resource Centre at 604-574-6622.
Prudence is showing signs of improvement. She’s walking around, cuddling up to staff and eating and drinking like a normal dog – but the long-term effects on her remain to be seen.
“She’s going to require months of nutritional support, medicinal support, medicated baths, etcetera, to try to reestablish her immune system,” Marosevich said. “She’s going to be a little bit of a project in the behavioural and training area as well as the medical area.”
Prudence will likely go to foster care for three to four months, and after that the shelter will be looking for an adoptive owner familiar with the Doberman breed.
In the meantime, anyone who wishes to donate can do so at the animal resource centre or the Allondale Animal Hospital.
Marosevich said the centre is accepting donations of a/d recovery diet dog food, toys, stuffed animals, blankets and money to help with Prudence’s recovery.
